Two Sides of the Same Coin
by Ramfish
Summary: On a mission to retrieve pieces from an alien excavation site for study, the crew of the Enterprise meets an unusual woman who challenges Spock's identity as a Vulcan. "complete" - final editing in progress
1. Chapter 1

**Two Sides of the Same Coin**

_Synopsis:_ On a mission to retrieve pieces from an alien excavation site for study, the crew of the Enterprise meets an unusual woman who challenges Spock's identity as a Vulcan.

_Author's Note:_ A per tradition, I am obligated to inform you that _Star Trek _is not my creation. A number of supporting characters, locations, and the introduction of _Tria Meyers_ are the only aspects of this work I can take credit for. Comments are welcome. I'm a Trekkie, but I am not a super-fan. Just a storyteller with a lifelong crush on Spock.

_3/10/2009 - Updated with a chapter break to make it easier to read. Thanks for the suggestions! I'll be adding more soon!_

_3/14/2009_ - _**The story rating has been changed to M**. I should have done this from the beginning._

_4/6/2009 - The draft is finished, some minor changes will be made as I edit it down to semi-perfection. Ah but this is not the end! I have a number of followups planned, so ... stay tuned ^_~_

**Chapter One**

[b]Two Sides of the Same Coin[/b]

Synopsis: On a mission to retrieve pieces from an alien excavation site for study, the crew of the Enterprise meets an unusual woman who challenges Spock's identity as a Vulcan.

Author's Note: A per tradition, I am obligated to inform you that Star Trek is not my creation. A number of supporting characters, locations, and the introduction of Tria Meyers are the only aspects of this work I can take credit for. Comments are welcome. I'm a Trekkie, but I am not a super-fan. Just a storyteller with a lifelong crush on Spock.

[i] 3/11/2009 - I split up the first chapter after a reader suggested I split it up for easier reading. It was a good point. ^_~ [/i]

[b]Chapter 1[/b]

Brondus V was small moon colonized just five years before in an attempt to establish an agricultural and botanical research station. The colony had been deemed successful, but the colonists recently discovered a group of ancient alien ruins unidentifiable by current historical records. The researchers sent to study the ruins have discovered a technology that appeared to act as an infinite power source. Though the team had been unable to determine how the technology works, they had found a number of new facts about the species that once inhabited Brondus and it's moons. The Enterprise was sent to the moon to aid in their study of the ruins with orders to bring back samples of the power source, if possible, for further study by the Federation.

The area where the colony had been built was just north of a low-lying mountain with very little vegetation on its slopes. The valley at it's foot, however, was rich and dotted with small forests. The colony was built mostly from clay and wood gathered from the nearby forest. It had been well planned in a series of dirt streets radiating out from the meeting square which was marked by a small herb garden that was planted mostly for show.

The colony's leader, Sal Leon stood waiting in the colony's meeting square for the Enterprise's Captain Kirk to beam down with an away team. One of the colonists walked out of a nearby building and approached him with a green and blue leafed branch, presenting it to him with a question on his lips. "Is this the sample you were looking for, sir?"

Leon took the branch, examining it. He rubbed the leaves between his fingers and nodded. "Yes, this is the one I was thinking of, Johnson. Please take it back to the lab and have them examine it's structure." Just then, four beams of light appeared behind them and began to hum. The Starfleet away team had arrived. Leon handed the branch back to Johnson. "See if they can find out how the plant reproduces as well. I would like to see if we can harvest these. I'm hoping the sap can be used as a new antiseptic." The colonist disappeared back into the building he came from, as the away team fully materialized on the planet's surface.

Captain Kirk stepped forward, recognizable by his yellow uniform. "Sal Leon, I presume?"

Leon greeted the captain with a warm smile. "Yes, Captain. I am the colony's manager as well as lead botanist. Welcome to Brondus V."

"Thank you, Mr. Leon," the Captain replied. He motioned to the men behind him. "This is my first officer and science officer, Commander Spock, our Chief Medical Officer, Doctor McCoy, our engineer, Mr. Scott, and Ensign Grayson."

"It's good to have you here, gentlemen. I hope that you find our colony hospitable. I'm sure you'd like to get right down to business." Leon gestured south, toward a group of mountains. "The ruin site is only a few miles walk from the colony."

"How is it," Spock asked, "that your colony did not discover the ruins until so recently?"

"Ah," answered Leon. "We didn't spend much time exploring the mountains the last few years. Our largest concern upon arrival was to build our colony, start farming, and studying the plants in the plains and forests nearby. We had determined that the most beneficial plants and soil were in the low lying areas, so we did not pay much attention to the mountains. It wasn't until some of the children started to play in the area did anyone notice the ruins. They're concealed in a cavern at the foot of the mountain."

"Interesting," remarked Kirk. "I assume the research team is in the ruins?"

"Yes Captain," said Leon. "They arrived about two weeks ago. We were glad to have them. I'm quite interested to learn about the previous tenants of this moon." Leon laughed. "You never know if it could help us with our own goals here." The group was now starting to walk out of the edges of the colony. "The research team hasn't left the ruins much since they arrived. Although their head anthropologist, Tria, comes up at least once a day to give updates on their progress."

Kirk nodded. "Ah, yes. Ms. Meyers is supposed to return with the Enterprise to transport any samples, that is if we can find a way to safely remove them."

"She's surprisingly congenial. Just a few days ago she was kind enough to bring us a few root samples, just because she thought we would be interested." Leon laughed again.

McCoy shot Kirk a confused look. "Surprisingly congenial? I didn't realize anthropologists had a reputation for being rude." he muttered. Kirk shrugged, not sure what Leon meant either.

They arrived at the excavation site within the hour. A rough steppe of rock layers created a climbable way to the bottom, but stairs had been built for a safer decent. Roughly ten men and women busied about the site trying to uncover the stone and metallic structure buried under centuries aggregate and debris. Most of them noticed their visitors and only glanced up briefly to greet them as they passed. Leon asked one of them where Tria was and he pointed him in the direction of a small cavern opening.

Inside they found a young woman, eyes fixed on what appeared to be a control panel with alien script surrounding it. The room was small, but had a faint blue glow coming from both the panel and small slits in the walls of the opposite side of the panel. Her hand covered her mouth pensively as she analyzed the script. She bent suddenly over the small table set up next to the console and wrote something on a tablet. Picking up the tablet, she compared what she had written with the console.

Leon coughed, to get her attention. "Tria," he called. She turned, looking surprised. When she recognized Leon, she smiled.

"Oh Leon, I'm sorry." She set the tablet back down and walked over to the entrance. "I remembered they were arriving when I woke up but go so busy translating this thing that I forgot." She brushed the stray tendrils of brown hair out of her face. She wore a dusty pair of pants with a black tank top. Her cheeks had a few smudges of the rusty brown dirt that covered everything in the cavern. She looked as though she spent more time working than worrying about her appearance. She looked at the captain. "You must be Captain Kirk," she smiled brightly and shook his hand. "I'm glad the federation sent you. I've been able to decipher a great deal of the script in these ruins but I have little scientific background and I have no answers for Starfleet about how it works." She sighed with relief. "They keep asking me about how it functions and I really couldn't tell you." She laughed. "I mean, I'm an anthropologist, not an engineer."

McCoy laughed. Kirk shot a look at McCoy while Spock cocked an eyebrow at the doctor's sudden outburst. A mutual look of confusion covered the others' faces for a moment, but Kirk broke the awkward silence by introducing his away team once again for her benefit. "Why don't you start by telling us what you have found, Ms. Meyers."

"Of course." She led them over to the panel. "Well, I believe that this device was used to generate some sort of water line, probably for the inhabitant's homes or maybe even irrigation. I can't tell though. I'm having some trouble understanding a few of the controls." She pointed at areas of the panel. "Here, and here seem to be instructions on its' different functions. This one I'm positive is for water. We discovered that there used to be a latent spring running through this cavern, but it has since dried up. This one, however, I'm not sure about. The grammar structure is strange..." she trailed off.

"Have ye been able to learn anything about the way the thing works?" asked Scotty.

She shook her head. "My best guess would be geothermal, but I can't be sure. There's a structure over here that looks like it used to move, but we haven't been able to do anything with it." She showed Scotty where a piece of rusted metal bowed out from the wall. She carefully moved it aside and revealed it was a bulkhead. She motioned for him to take a look. The engineer dived into the small alcove that it revealed, poking around with his instruments.

"Mr. Scott and Spock can examine the device and see what makes it tick," said Kirk. "Then perhaps we will be able to determine if this thing would be useful anywhere else."

Leon agreed. "If it is an irrigation system, it could help us here a great deal. I'm sure it could do a lot for other colonies too, if they could find a way to use its methods on other planets."

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves," the captain responded. "Now, is there anything that we can do for your colony while we are here."

"Ah certainly," said Leon, leading the Captain back out of the cavern. The doctor followed, while the Ensign stayed behind to help Scotty and Spock examine the device.

"Miss Meyers," called Scotty from inside the alcove. "Do ye have some notes on these symbols in here? Or have ye not translated them yet?"

"I have a little, Mr. Scott. I'll grab what notes I have, just give me a moment."

Tria stepped outside to where Leon was explaining what supplies the colony could use. The doctor was examining a researcher with a sprained ankle. The two sat next to the excavation's collection station in the center of the site. Tria walked over to them, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "Getting that looked at finally, eh Eli?" He looked a little embarrassed, but nodded.

"The colony has a medic, why didn't you have them come look at it, boy?" Asked the doctor.

"I didn't want to loose track of the pipe system we found yesterday."

Tria chortled. "Like it would have moved." She rifled through a stack of papers and data pads, looking for her notes. Her hair hung down over her face and, frustrated with it, she reached into her pocket pull out a small thong of leather to tie it back at the nape of her neck. "Eli did you see those notes I had about that little alcove in the cavern? I thought I brought it out here."

"Look under the records logs," he responded, and pointed. The doctor instinctively followed the man's gaze and watch Tria move a stack of data pads to find a piece of paper with he alien script on it.

"Ah ha," she said, turning back to Eli. "Thanks." Doctor McCoy was staring at her, mouth open. Tria looked back at him, concerned. "What's wrong, doctor?"

Eli looked up at the doctor as well, and realized what was wrong. "Oh, Tria, no one told them about the ears." He laughed.

"Oh," she sighed and touched her ears. They were pointed, like a Vulcan's. "I thought I had some weird rash or something."

"Well I'll be damned!" McCoy said, dumbfounded. "You're a Vulcan!" The doctor shouted loud enough that Leon and Captain Kirk heard him a few yards away and looked to see what the fuss was about.

Eli and Tria laughed. "Half," Tria corrected.

"You're not like any half-Vulcan I've met either. Ya got the pointy ears but here you are laughing at me."

Tria swallowed and looked down at the ground, clearly uncomfortable. "Well, Doctor, I apologize for laughing at you, but I'm afraid I probably won't live up to expectations for being very Vulcan. My mother raised me on Earth and I never really, ah, took, to what little chance my father had to teach me about my other half." Tense, she gave a weak smile, excused herself, and walked away.

McCoy frowned and looked at his patient. "Well I didn't mean to upset the girl. Just threw me off guard, that's all."

Eli shrugged. "She doesn't really like to talk about it much. I think it upsets her when people point out that she's not very logical." He rotated his ankle.

"You can try standing on it now," McCoy told him.

Eli stood up, approving of the feel of his ankle. "It's funny, really."

"What's funny?"

"Oh, well; when people meet Tria, everyone acts so shocked that she doesn't act like every other Vulcan they've met. I think she has to work harder sometimes because people expect her to be some sort of methodical genius or something. Really, though, she's pretty smart. As that whole logic thing...she's logical...she just likes to laugh too."

"Well, wouldn't it be nice if they all were like that," mused McCoy.

Eli laughed. "Maybe. Thanks Doc." He headed back across the site to return to his work.

Kirk approached him shortly after. "McCoy," said Kirk, "Leon suggested that you talk to the colony's medic and see if she needs any assistance while we're here."

"Sure," said the doctor, distracted. They followed Leon back up the staircase.

"What was that all about," asked Kirk.

"You didn't notice?" Kirk shook his head 'no'. "Well, it would seem that their anthropologist is a half-breed Vulcan just like Spock."

"Really? Well, that will give them something to talk about, won't it?"

McCoy looked doubtful. "Sure, I bet Spock would have plenty to talk about with her."

Tria walked back into the cavern to find that Scotty, Spock, and one of the excavators had already removed a piece from inside the alcove. It was a large disc that glowed faintly blue in the groves that traced it's edge. "Well, that didn't take very long."

Scott beamed at her. "Just took a little professional encouragement, lass. Do ye mind if I take it back up to the ship to examine it?"

"No," she said, handing him her notes. "That's what I've deciphered so far from the script in that area. It might help."

"Aye, lass. I'll let ye know what we find." Scotty and the ensign picked up the disc together and took it outside to beam it back aboard the Enterprise. Tria watched them leave, looking a little anxious about the sudden movement of a piece of the excavation site.

Spock took out his communicator. "Spock to Captain Kirk."

"Go ahead Spock."

"Mr. Scott is beaming a piece of the device back to the ship for further examination. It could provide clues on how the rest of the structure works."

"Excellent, Spock. I've invited Mr. Leon up to tour the Enterprise. Ask Ms. Meyers if she would like to come as well. We've received orders that she should return to Alpha 1 Space lab with anything we find to brief them before anything is transferred to their care."

"Acknowledged, Spock out." Spock glanced up to see Tria standing in the cavern entrance watching Scotty beam away with the disc. It was then that he noticed her hair was pulled back.

Before he could catch himself staring at her, she looked back at him. "Does that mean we'll be going up shortly too?"

Spock blinked and collected himself in an instant. "Yes. I expect that arrangements will be made for temporary quarters for you on board the Enterprise. The journey will take approximately two weeks, you will want to collect any notes you have so you may brief the officers at Alpha 1."

"Okay. I'll let the team know." She sighed. "I've had some quick pickups before for artifacts, but this certainly takes the cake. I'll only take an hour or so to get ready." With that, she left Spock standing alone in the cavern to contemplate what he though he had seen.

Spock received word from the Enterprise that they were ready to receive Tria and any other useful artifacts as soon as they were ready. The excavators gathered a collection of interesting parts of the device that they were able to remove in the past few weeks without damaging the entire structure. All of their notes and records were transferred into a single data pad and Spock determined that everything was ready. The rest of the team would remain behind to continue their excavation until Starfleet could decide if it was necessary to send further aid to uncover the device, or if simply studying it's origin and not it's function would be sufficient.

Spock saw to it that the pieces now stored in cases were beamed safely aboard the ship. He then climbed the carvern's stair to see if Tria was ready to leave. She had spent most of the last hour at the row of tents at the top of the canyon set up for them to live in during the excavation. He found her standing outside talking to one of the team about procedures while she was gone. Spock decided from observing them that Tria was not so much in charge of the team, but simply one of the most senior researchers among them. It seemed that the team did not have an established rank order, just that they worked together as a group. They saw him coming, said their goodbyes, and the other left.

"You are ready to leave, then?" Spock asked.

She nodded. "I didn't come here with much, so I've got everything I need."

Spock nodded and called the ship to be ready for transport. They informed him it would be a minute while they cleared the transporter of the artifacts. Spock stood next to Tria in an awkward silence. She looked down at the canyon floor reflectively, watching her colleagues work. Spock stared unconsciously at her. Finally, he said; "You're Vulcan," flatly.

Tria didn't meet his gaze. "Half," she corrected automatically.

"Fascinating."

She shot a shocked look at him. "What do you mean by that," she said defensively.

Spock raised an eyebrow, thrown off by her reaction. "I find it interesting to meet another half-bred Vulcan. I wasn't aware there were others."

She softened a little. "Where did you meet another half-Vulcan?"

"I did not meet one." He said, as though that were obvious. "I am half-Vulcan."

"What?" She didn't believe him.

"I said..."

"No, no," she interrupted. "I heard you. I just...I don't believe you."

"Vulcans do not lie," he replied automatically.

Tria appeared to find the statement ironic, but didn't challenge the claim. Instead, she tried to decide if he was lying, or playing a cruel joke on her. She looked straight into his eyes for a long moment, studying him. "No," she confirmed, "you wouldn't. You're not." She looked away, biting her lip.

"I am sorry if I offended you."

"No," she sighed. "You didn't offend me, you just surprised me. The possibility of there being others never occurred to me, either"

"Indeed."

Spock's communicator chirped. "Ready for transport, Commander," said the disembodied voice on the other end.

He opened it and responded, "Energize."

The light surrounded them and Tria's belongings as they were beamed across space up to the ship. Reappearing on board, two crewmen waited in the transporter room. One walked up and took the bag sitting next to Tria's feet. "I have Ms. Meyers' assignment, Commander," the other said. "Would you like me to escort her to her quarters?"

Spock watched Tria step down off the transporter pad. "That won't be necessary, Lieutenant." He looked at the assignment and took the bag from the other crewman. "I will show you the way, Ms. Meyers." Spock led her down the hall, to a turbolift. They stepped inside and he ordered the lift to the correct deck.

"Your name," he began, "it isn't Vulcan."

"No," she said. For some reason she couldn't bring herself to look at him. Usually she had no trouble looking someone in the eye, but it was always different with most Vulcans. For some reason they made her feel guilty. "I was born on Earth. My mother...my human mother gave me my name."

Spock didn't skip a beat. "Did your father live on Earth with you and your mother?"

"My father never lived on Earth. He lived on Vulcan." Now she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. She could sense that he was as curious about her origins as she found herself curious about his. "We don't really talk about it much," she said before he could ask her another question; "my mother and I. I usually tell people that the circumstances surrounding my birth were … unusual. My mother had no desire to allow my father to take me to Vulcan to learn about my heritage and he respected her wishes as much as possible."

"I see," he replied.

The lift doors opened and they stepped out into a hall. Spock turned right at an intersection and led her a short distance to a door. He punched in a security code and ushered her inside. The quarters were small, but sufficient. They were certainly more comfortable than a tent. Spock set down her bag near the door, which closed behind him. "I believe the Captain is giving Mr. Leon a tour of the ship. We will return to the colony after our rendezvous with the Alpha 1 lab to bring them supplies and deliver you back to the excavation site. If you would like, we could meet up with the Captain and you can accompany them for the remainder of his tour."

Tria sat down next to the small breakfast table. "Maybe later."

Spock nodded. "Is there anything else you will require?" She shook her head 'no' absentmindedly. "I should return to the bridge then." He turned and the door hissed open.

"Wait," she called. Spock looked back from the open door. She hesitated a moment. "Would you mind, later, having dinner with me? I would like to continue our conversation." Spock looked back at her, stoic. "If that's okay," she said quickly.

"I will return at 18:00 hours," he answered evenly.

"Thank you, Commander."

He left, the door closing behind him. She sat at the table for a moment, gazing at the door. She then sighed, cradling her head in one hand, feeling like the situation was more than she could handle.

As the afternoon waned the only thing Tria had aboard the Enterprise to indicate time had passed was a clock set into the wall above her door and her stomach starting to ache from hunger. She found her way to the ship's galley and prepared a gazpacho, a very leafy green salad, and had the replicator produce some bread to make up their dinner. She secured it on a tray, and brought it back down to her quarters to set out on the table. She made a pot of green tea and was just setting it out on the table when the door chimed, Spock arriving promptly at 18:00 hours.

"I hope you like gazpacho," she said, letting him in. "I don't usually make Vulcan dishes, but, it's vegetarian, so..." she trailed off.

"It is a good choice, for a Terran dish," he said.

They sat opposite each other at the little table and ate mostly in silence. Tria was feeling extremely curious about him, but wasn't sure where to start the conversation. She hoped a little that maybe he would start it for her. Instead, she asked about his duties, which he explained in as much detail as she could manage at the moment. As a way to break conversation, she cleared the table when he finished eating and made a fresh pot of tea.

Tria filled the cup sitting in front of Spock. He thanked her and took a drink. He held out the cup, turning it in his hands and examining the design. "Chinese, I presume?"

"Korean. One of the many sets my mother has given me. She started my tea set collection when I was old enough to not break them. Every time she would go somewhere to examine pieces for a museum she would bring me one back."

Spock set the cup back down, sat back slightly, and steepled his fingers on the table. "Your mother works for a museum, then?"

"Many different ones, but most all of them on Earth. She really only ever leaves home to collect pieces, but her expertise is essentially Terran art history." She poured herself her own cup of tea.

Spock considered her for a moment. "If you don't mind me asking, Ms. Meyers, I'm curious what made your mother decide to raise you exclusively on Earth."

"Please, call me Tria." She took a sip of her tea and smiled into her cup. "Usually I do. As I said before, it's not something my family talks about much. But, if you tell me a story in return, I'll explain the whole thing."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "A story?"

"Yes. I'll tell you the story about why my mother raised me on Earth and then I would like you to tell me what it was like growing up on Vulcan." He continued to give her a quizzical look. "I didn't ask you to come so that I could talk about myself," she joked.

"I didn't realize you would be interested."

"Well," she set her cup down, "I have only actually visited Vulcan three times."

"I see. You had no interest in visiting your father, then?"

She shook her head. "That wasn't it. Why don't I answer your question," she suggested. "The circumstances surrounding my conception are...sensitive. She only told me how it happened once and I never pressed for any more information than she gave me. Honestly, it's a little embarrassing to talk about, you know?"

"I would not."

Tria looked back at him skeptically. "Of course you wouldn't," she smirked. "The easiest way to put it is that I was an accident. My mother did not even know that she was pregnant until after she came home to Earth and she was not certain if my father would even care to know. She told me that she decided when four weeks before I was due to send a message to Vulcan so he would know." She took a deep breath.

"She thought that he would not care?"

"He had no interest in continuing any relationship with her after the incident and the way he acted afterward gave her a bad impression of him."

"A bad impression?"

She took a drink, trying to think of a better way to put it. "He pissed her off."

Spock looked surprised at her bluntness. "Why?"

She shook her head. "Anyway," she continued, ignoring his question, "she had decided that it was wrong to keep it from him and he showed up a few weeks after I was born to see me. Mom told me that he wanted to take us both to Vulcan so that I could grow up there, learn the philosophies of Surak, and eventually achieve kolinahr. But, she wouldn't have any of it. She told me that, at the time, she had not met many Vulcans, and judged them based on my father's behaviors, especially on the way back to Earth. Since she'd decided she didn't like him, she had decided that she didn't want me to be like him, so I would not be raised on Vulcan or like a Vulcan."

"Her reaction is very illogical. If she had given him the opportunity to raise you on Vulcan, it would have been highly beneficial for your education."

"My education was perfectly fine, thank you," she quipped. "My mother taught me more about Earth history than any classroom could have done and I traveled as much as any child on board a starship would have."

"Regardless of how much you learned on Earth, I suspect that you don't know much about Vulcan history and culture. There is little you can read about our heritage in books. A great deal of Vulcan philosophy is passed on orally."

She shrugged. "Like I said, I have been to Vulcan a few times. Mom let my father take me there twice when I was a child and I visited him after I graduated from university. It is true I don't know nearly as much as I wish I did about Vulcan culture, but my father essentially gave up on trying to teach me anything after my second visit when I was twelve. I just didn't think it would be tactful to ask him to teach me anything after I was grown. Besides, things never go...well...while I'm on Vulcan." Her eyes dropped to her cup.

"What do you mean, things don't go 'well'?"

She pursed her lips. "Being Vulcan comes with certain...expectations. People I meet are always thrown that I'm not completely emotionless and stoic. With Vulcans, those expectations are magnified a great deal and I become very...self conscious. As much as I would love to spend time there and learn about my other half, I'm too afraid of what the pressure would be like. I always think of the day my father took me sightseeing in ShiKahr and I kept telling him how beautiful the city was. I remember people on the street staring at me, and me realizing that I was out of place and that I was probably embarrassing my father."

"I highly doubt that your father was embarrassed. A Vulcan does no experience such an emotion."

Tria shook her head and sighed. "Regardless of whether he was actually embarrassed, I was embarrassed for him. It was clear that I couldn't live up to Vulcan standards of behavior, so I've always been too afraid to go back. I only visited him after graduation because I felt that I should see him. At the very least, I know that he approved of my choice of career." She smiled, "And he told me that my Vulcan accent had become practically flawless since the last time we spoke."

"You speak Vulcan?" Spock looked intrigued. Tria couldn't help but smile at the slight light in his eyes.

"Of all the things that I could learn from tapes and books on Earth, it was the easiest. He started to teach me when I was eight, but I really didn't start to pick it up until I was a little older. It was my first second language."

"Fascinating."

"Lesek," she replied. Thank you.

He sat up a little straighter, clearly absorbed in the opportunity. "How long did you study Vulcan?"

"I started formal classes when I was thirteen. I would estimate almost ten years." Spock started to say something else, but Tria interrupted, saying; "You still have to tell me what it was like to grow up on Vulcan."

Spock cocked his head slightly to one side, considering her a moment. "Describing my entire childhood would take a very long time, Tria."

She smiled at the use of her first name. "Then answer my questions, as I have answered yours."

"Very well."

She sat back, amused. Tria questioned him for the better part of an hour, asking what games he played, what he did with his parents, and what school was like. When she asked him if he did anything for leisure, Spock revealed that he often played chess against Kirk and McCoy but also spent his time practicing on his Vulcan lute, or ka'athyra. Their conversation was interrupted when Spock was called to the bridge.

"We will have to continue this conversation tomorrow," Spock said, excusing himself as he stood. Instinctively, Tria reached across the table to stop him, lightly grasping his wrist.

"You must play for me," she said, her eyes beaming. Her heart was pounding, the conversation had put her in an incredible mood. He lingered a moment, as though something were keeping him there. A faint bit of creasing appeared at the corner of his eyes, as though her request amused him, but his discipline dare not allow him any more signs of it.

"When I am off-duty," he confirmed. She let her hand slip from his arm, smiling warmly.

"Good. I look forward to it."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The following day, after his shift on the bridge, Spock decided to make a trip to engineering to check on the progress Scotty was making on decoding the alien device's functionality. The door hissed open and Spock stepped into engineering. Scotty stood over the alien disk, going over some of the readings he had acquired of the device. Spock crossed the room and stood on the other side of the pedestal that stood the disk on edge for observation. He clasped his hands behind his back, standing in perfect posture that contrasted Scotty's causal bend over the disk. "Anything new to report, Mr. Scott?"

"Aye, Commander," Scotty said. "We've determined what this Frisbee is for. That lass Ms. Meyers was down here earlier and said she's finished translating that control panel at the excavation site. She said that she's positive the disk is a fancy water filter."

"A water filter?"

"That's right. They told us they thought an old stream used to run through that canyon. Ms. Meyers told me that one of the sections on that control panel had instructions on how to replace the disks to filter out impurities. We've discovered there is a special mineral that the aliens used as a host for what the filters take out of the water. That's why the thing glows blue." He tapped the disk with his data pad. "I bet you they stop glowin' when it's time to change 'em out."

"Fascinating," said Spock. "Do you suspect this is something that could be used by colonies?"

"It's possible, sir. It's just a matter of figuring out how they built these things and whether they will work on other planets."

"Thank you Mr. Scott." Spock turned to go, but stopped. "Do you know if Ms. Meyers went back to her quarters after she left engineering?"

Scotty thought moment, then said, "No...I think she asked one of the crew directions to the ship's gymnasium before she left."

Spock thanked him again and left engineering to find Tria.

Several of the crew were making use of the facilities, but he found Tria alone in the gymnastics area, standing on the balance beam in a plain black leotard. She was doing a number of stretches and poses from various forms of dance and yoga. He stepped quietly into the area behind her and watched as she kicked one leg straight out in front of her, raising it up as far as she could manage, holding it there. A considerable amount of strain could be seen after about twenty seconds as her legs both began to waver slightly. She then stretched her arms both into the air, fell forward, shifting her weight to her outstretched leg and pulling her other leg up over her head with one hand.

Tria let her leg go after half a minute and kicked both legs over her head into a handstand. She pointed her toes at the ceiling, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she saw Spock watching her at the back of the room, gasped, and wobble on her hands. As she tried to regain her balance, she attempted to plant her feet back on the beam in front of her. Spock stepped forward, seeing her waiver, but was not in time to keep her from slipping, cracking one knee on the beam before landing awkwardly on her side on the mat below. He rushed over to her where she lay, curling up and clutching her knee. "Are you hurt," he said quickly, kneeling next to her and rolling her onto her back. Her face was clenched in pain and though she gave no answer he knew. She exhaled sharply opening her eyes, which were rimmed with tears. Spock gently pushed her hands away from the injured leg and forced her to stretch it straight on the ground. Tria sobbed and tried to sit up from the sudden stab of pain it caused. He put one hand on her shoulder, to steady her. "I'm sorry," he said.

She looked him in the eyes and held her breath, trying not to start crying from the pain. "I think...I might have b-b-broken it," she stammered.

Spock looked down at her knee, which was becoming swollen and a dark green bruise was forming around it. "This might hurt a little, try to stay still," he ordered. She held her breath as he reached down and traced the length of her tibia with his fingers from her ankle to her knee. She winced as he reached her bruise, but managed to stay still. "I'm not a doctor, but I believe you may have a cracked tibia," he told her. Tria let out a puff of air plaintively. "I will have to take you to sick bay to have it examined."

"I can't believe I fell," she muttered.

Spock stood and pursed his lips. "I startled you, it was a reasonable reaction."

Tria sighed and rolled her eyes and reached out a hand for him to help her up on her good leg. Spock pulled her up onto her foot, but she was shaking from the adrenaline, and having trouble standing on just the one foot. As she stood griping his arm for stability, she said, "Okay," and moved to take a step. She staggered on her other leg and Spock caught her from falling forward by stepping in front of her and slipping his other arm around her torso.

Tria's breath caught in her throat as Spock lifted her back into a standing position, their faces inches apart. Spock did not catch her gaze, but said, "I don't think you have the strength to hobble to sick bay." Before she could respond, he stooped down and picked her up, carrying her in his arms.

"I feel dizzy," she said, without thinking.

"You're not breathing. You should stop holding your breath," he said in an as a matter of fact manner. Tria took slow deep breaths to clear her head, knowing that he injury was not the only reason she felt tense. She allowed her muscles to relax as Spock carried her down the corridors to sick bay and found that doing so made her injury feel considerably better.

Spock stepped into a turbo lift and ordered it to take them to sick bay. The doors closed and the lift began to move to the appropriate deck. Something occurred to Tria that she felt safe there and wanted to say something to thank Spock, but wasn't sure what to say. To anyone else, she knew she would be talking away, having no problems being herself; but the Vulcan made her self-conscious and afraid she might do or say something that would make her seem deplorable. Regardless, she took a proverbial leap and let one of her hands fall on his where it clutched her ribcage. His eyes flickered down to hers, but he said nothing. Feeling bold, she simply looked back at him directly, maintaining the silence as well.

Something strange seemed to be happening. Tria's heart was already racing, but she sensed that Spock's was beginning to run faster as well. His face remained stoic, but she felt his arms tense around her. She knew that it was not discomfort or an aversion, it was something more fervent and Spock was having trouble hiding it.

The lift doors opened and Spock stepped out into the corridor, carrying her the short distance to sick bay. The front room of sickbay only contained a few medical instruments and was mostly dedicated to Doctor McCoy's desk. The doctor was there, sitting at his desk reviewing some files. He glanced up as Spock stepped cautiously in the door, careful not to hit Tria's legs on the frame. As soon as she saw the doctor, Tria subtly dropped her hand away from Spock's.

McCoy lept from his chair at the sight of them, exclaiming, "Good lord, Spock! What the hell happened? Poor girl's knee looks like an under-ripe pumpkin!" By then, Tria's leg had bruised in a range from emerald green to a pastel shade resembling oxidized copper. The doctor gestured for Spock to go into the nearest ward.

"I believe, doctor, that she has a broken leg," Spock said evenly. He brought her over to one of the black operating tables and carefully laid her down on it.

McCoy produced his tricorder and began to scan her injury. "She sure does. Broken tibia and a cracked patella. How did you manage to do that?"

"I lost my footing in the gymnasium," Tria explained, "and fell off the balance beam."

McCoy looked at Spock, giving him a sly stare. "And how did you end up carrying my patient in here, Spock?"

"I was present when she fell, Doctor," Spock replied plainly.

McCoy was clearly trying to garner a reaction from Spock, but to no avail. Spock would not provide McCoy the ammo the doctor wanted so that he could chide his Vulcan colleague at every opportunity. He put the tricorder back on his belt and picked up a hypospray sitting on the nearby instrument table. Opening the drawer in it's front, he picked out one of the small liquid vials that lined the drawer. McCoy clicked the vial onto the hypospray and pressed it just above her knee. It hissed and Tria instantly began to feel the numbing agent do it's work on her overtaxed nerves. "I'm sure that feels better, eh? I'll get the bone-knitter, it will just take a moment."

McCoy left the ward briefly. As soon as the doctor was out of sight, Spock glanced down at Tria and caught her gaze. He moved seamlessly to the head of the table, characteristically clasping his hands behind his back. "I apologize for breaking your concentration in the gymnasium, Tria," he said stiffly. "I did not intend to cause you to fall."

Tria smiled up at him gently. "Of course you didn't."

McCoy returned, nurse in toe, and got to work setting up a steri-field around her legs and got to work repairing her broken bones. "Well, you've certainly got the green blood," McCoy remarked as he worked. Tria dared not look down, she had no desire to see what had to be done to mend a broken bone. The surgery seemed to be over in a matter of minutes, though it was more accurately the better part of an hour. Tria was surprised when McCoy declared; "All set," and deactivated the steri-field. Tria risked a glance at her leg, craning her head up to see. It looked almost the same has it had when they arrived, only the swelling around her knee had subsided a great deal.

"Now," said the doctor, "I can't guarantee you'll be in perfect condition right away, so no more gymnastics for a week."

Tria sat up. "Of course, Doctor."

"Go ahead and try standing on it," he said. Tria slowly swung her legs around over the edge of the table. She caught Spock shift his weight in the corner of her eye and knew he was preparing himself to catch her if she fell again. "Easy now," McCoy encouraged. Leading with her good leg, she lowered herself off the table and tested her weight on her newly healed leg. The sensation was strange after the surgery, but she felt sturdy and allowed herself to let go of the table and stand of her own accord.

"Good?" asked McCoy.

"Yes, thank you."

The doctor gave a terse nod. "Okay then. Well, other than a stroll back to your quarters I want you off it for the rest of the day. Give your bones a chance to adjust on their own."

"I will see to it that she makes it back to her quarters safely, doctor," said Spock. A strange, playful look spread across McCoy's face before he stepped aside and and said farewell.

Spock escorted Tria back to her quarters. "Spock," Tria said slowly, "why did you come to the gymnasium in the first place? You don't look like you were getting ready to do any exercise."

"Mr. Scott informed me that you had asked a crewman where the gymnasium was located, I naturally assumed that you were planning to go there after you were done in engineering."

"Naturally," she repeated, amused.

When they reached her quarters, Tria opened the door and started to enter, but realized that Spock was no following her. "Do you have to go back on duty?"

"My shift technically ended precisely five minutes into your surgery, but there are a number of responsibilities I could attend to if I needed to," he said.

Tria gave him an irresolute stare before saying, "Well if you don't have anything to pressing to do, would you like to come in for some tea?"

"If you wish," Spock said flatly.

Tria ushered him in and asked the food replicator to produce a hot pot of water for her. "I'm in the mood for rooibos, if that's fine with you," she said. Spock gave her an inexpressive confirmation. She produced her tea set on the table and a small wood box with a red lion burned onto the surface. She picked a heavy pinch of dried leaves out of the box, dropping them into the pot, and pouring the water over them. "Excuse me a minute," she said, "I'd like to change into something normal." Still in her leotard, Tria was beginning to feel a bit overexposed. She disappeared into the bedroom area.

Spock picked up the box she containing her tea and examined it. The design was simple, organic, even primitive. After a minute, he picked up the tea pot, removed the lid, and sniffed it. Satisfied that it must be done steeping, he poured it into each cup. Tria skirted back into the room as he was setting the pot down. She returned wearing a simple gossamer frock with short, over sized sleeves and a red and black motley pattern. She sat down and thanked him for pouring the tea.

"Mr. Scott said that you had finished deciphering the Brondus alien inscriptions. What did you find that allowed you to complete your translation?"

"Well," she answered, "I decided that the best method would be to break down the phrases from their least important elements and then work to fill in the grammatical holes from what made the most sense in comparison with the other phrases I had already managed to translate. It was just a matter of working with all of those possibilities and finding the ones that made chronological sense with the rest of the inscriptions."

"Interesting method."

Tria nodded. "The only reason it took me so long was I had so little to work with, as far as nouns and verbs go. Some of them I had to make an educated guess and make sure they fit, but I'm confident that they are all correct."

"I'm sure that the scientists at Alpha 1 will appreciate your efforts."

"I hope so," she smiled and took a sip of her tea.

Spock sat forward. "Tria, I suspect your motives for asking me to have tea with you are not entirely casual."

She looked surprised, like a cat caught with one paw in the fishbowl. Her cheeks started to flush a deep olive green. "I may have."

"What is it that you wished to discuss?"

"I'm...." He raised an eyebrow. She frowned. "I might have crossed a line, earlier."

"I see. You refer to in the turbo lift."

"It was a chance I need to take. I'm sorry if it offended you."

"There was no offense. While your curiosity is most likely emotionally driven, I believe I understand why you decided to pursue it."

Tria looked down to her hands uneasily. Spock's steady composure now was so dramatically different than what she thought she sensed before, but she couldn't be sure if she imagined it. "What do you think happened," she said slowly, "when I touched you?"

"I hypothesize that when you are experiencing high degrees of emotions or are significant distress you are able to project those feelings onto others through tactile contact. However, since you are not significantly trained in your Vulcan telepathic abilities, the phenomenon is occurring unconsciously and yielding interesting results. Today was not the first time I recognized the sensation. It also occurred yesterday, when you asked me to play the ka'athyra for you. I suspect you did not notice that occurrence."

She shook her head. "I didn't. I just assumed that you were flattered."

"Flattery is a human emotion," he reminded her.

She looked frustrated. "But, you're just as human as I am," she argued. "And look at me!"

"You merely lack the training that would permit you to control your emotions."

She tisked. "I don't think my emotions are out of control, Spock. I think I just feel them, like a person should."

"Emotions are not logical, Tria. It is why Vulcans choose to suppress them in order to maintain logical thinking."

"But I could have sworn I sensed something from you! It was strange, difficult to describe."

"I do not know what it is to which you refer, Tria. Any sensation I experienced logically would have been projected from you."

"It was different than how I felt, though." She hesitated, embarrassed to share, but it was the only way to support her own argument. "I felt excited, charged even. I kept thinking how safe and happy I was, even though my leg was broken. What I felt from you...was different. Like the most raw emotions screaming to escape." Spock sat up straighter, affected by her choice of words. Tria noticed and assumed he didn't like the way she said it. "I'm sorry, it's just be best way I can think to describe it." Adrenaline rushed through her veins as her nervousness rose. She poured more tea in her cup to warm it and drank deeply from the cup.

Spock sat uncomfortably still for a time, thinking. Finally he said, "If you are correct in assessing that these emotions you experienced did indeed come from me and not yourself, then I would speculate that your innate telepathy is much more complex than I originally assumed. It is possible that you have highly sensitive empathic senses, which could allow you to experience the emotions that Vulcans to not consciously experience as we are trained to suppress them."

"So, you're saying that you did feel these things, but you did not recognize them as your own."

"Correct. It is an interesting phenomenon. Understanding the intricacies of it would require a great deal of observation and some training on your own part before you would be able to use the ability successfully on your own without causing any permanent damage to yourself or your recipients."

"I could hurt someone?" She unconsciously rubbed her fingers together.

"What you are experiencing is a natural rendition of a Vulcan mind meld. The method requires a great deal of training and discipline to be preformed safely and effectively. Although it is possible for a Vulcan who is untrained to attempt a meld, they could cause permanent damage to theirs or their subjects nervous system and eventually death." He saw the shock on her face and added, "I doubt that any casual tactile contact you have with a person would do more than it does already, Tria. Melding requires one to put pressure on specific nerves and blood vessels to be effective. You are in no danger of killing anyone."

She sighed with relief, then laughed. "Good." She ran a hand through her hair. "Is mind melding something that all Vulcans can do?"

"No, not all. It is not a widespread ability."

She smiled playfully. "Can you?"

"Yes."

That spurred her smile into a grin. "Really?"

"I did say yes, Tria."

"What's it like?"

"It is a deeply personal ritual and connects the minds of the two involved, the degree of which can vary. The most simple description would be to say it is a way to read another's mind, but it is much more complex."

"It sounds amazing."

"Your enthusiasm is cause for concern, this is not something to be taken lightly," Spock responded in his most stern tone.

She settled back in her chair. "I don't mean to seem irreverent," she said. "I just never realized such a thing was possible. I mean, I have heard of some pretty amazing things, but this is a new one to me."

Spock nodded respectfully, "Understandable."

"Will you indulge me, Spock?"

He gave her a curious look, "In what way."

"I've never met someone like you, most Vulcans are loathe to interact with me. I'm sure you have your reasons, but I'm eager to know everything about you. I feel...drawn to you," she blushed, pursing her lips and shrinking back in her chair. She felt like a young girl's first infatuation, but she knew she was far too adult for such games. In her mind, it was best to cut to the chase rather than pretend she felt nothing. She knew, as well, that Spock would not react to any subtle hints or the slow torturous courting typical of humans; and she had done it enough herself in her youth that she was adverse to play that game.

"I have no cause to find you distasteful because I am aware of the circumstances under which you were raised. Vulcans whom have not had the chance to know these facts would assume that you are an outcast, most likely a rejector of Vulcan philosophies, and would not wish to have be in your presence." He noticed that she was watching him carefully now, taking in his words and boring into him with her eyes, looking for something. Her characteristic smile was gone, replaced by a contemplative visage. "As far as indulging you, I do not believe I would be capable of what you may seek. I am willing to teach you Vulcan ways, if you wish. And while I do find your company most agreeable, I doubt that anything further would satisfy you. You would most likely find me vacant and that would naturally cause you distress because of your emotional nature."

For a moment, Spock suspected that he had hurt her, because she continued to look at him in an aberrant manner. However, Tria was studying him, considering everything he was saying carefully. Eventually, she said, "You say this, but I do not believe that you are incapable of feeling."

"For you to not believe it would not make it any different," he said quickly.

"No," she said slowly. "You misunderstand me. I don't believe it not because it's something that I do not believe, but because you are not entirely sure of your convictions. I see it there, in your face. You present yourself as sure that you have complete control over your emotions, that you have locked them away like every other Vulcan has done, but you know that they're not gone. Just hidden."

"You are certain that you see these things, but you have no evidence that would support your theory," he reminded her.

It was then that she smiled again, but this time it was a sly, knowing smirk rather than her usual cordial face. "I only needed to hear what you have said and I could have known; even if something in my gut wasn't telling me." She shifted forward in her seat. "You said you didn't think anything other than simply being in your company would be satisfying. You assumed that I would be hurt because you are unemotional. See, it's what you didn't say. You didn't say that it wasn't possible. You didn't say that you were opposed to the notion."

"Impressive observation, Tria," he said. "You are correct. Although I do not deem the idea impossible, I will maintain that even friendship with myself is difficult for humans. At times they seem frustrated with logic and regardless of what possibilities exist for you and I, you must be mindful of these dangers."

"I have faith that the risk would be worth it. I would not ask you to do anything you did not want to. I think it's best to discuss it, though, rather than not."

"You candor is appreciated." She smiled graciously. "If you wish, I think it would be best to proceed as we have been. Perhaps I will bring my ka'athyra to play for you later, after you have rested." He stood up.

"I think that's an excellent idea," she said serenely.

Spock nodded respectfully and left. Alone in her quarters, Tria lounged back in her chair and poured herself another cup of tea, emptying the pot. She laughed to herself as she took a sip and gazed into her cup, amused.


	3. Chapter 3

[b]Chapter 3[/b]

Spock sat at his station on the bridge taking sensor readings as the ship moved through space to its destination. The Enterprise had an uneventful voyage thus far. The Brondus V artifacts and its chaperon safely aboard, the mission was child's play compared with their usual adventures. Spock found himself thinking about Tria.

The half-Vulcan woman left him in a rare state of preoccupation that bordered on prurient. Although Tria had an unhealthy lack of confidence when it came to her unhuman heritage, Spock could see that she would not change her personality simply to blend in with other Vulcans. He suspected that while Tria was happy with the person that she was, the expectations placed on her because she was Vulcan caused her to doubt her convictions. Despite her insecurities, she was determined to explore their strange kinship. Spock knew that he should not find her so luring, yet he found himself thinking about it regardless.

What concerned Spock most about the situation was Tria's ability to break down his well-established resolve. At first Spock now knew that his sudden rise in heart rate when she had touched him was a byproduct of her Vulcan mental ability; but once she had described the experience from her point of view, Spock was now convinced that the sensation had been his own to bear. He had to accept that Tria signaled something carnal within him without the influence of her ability. He had reason to suspect that his time spent around her would slowly break down his control over his emotions and he was not certain what the results would be.

Spock knew that Tria would not pass any judgment on him for showing emotion, there was no logical reason for her to do so. Spock had worked hard to discipline his human side and he did not desire to loose control over something as simple as a woman. And yet … she was endearing. She was curious about Vulcan and himself and Spock felt a need to oblige her. Knowing her in any way was a rare opportunity. It was illogical to pass it up.

He thought that if he had been able to control the emotions from his youth, he would be able to find a way to discipline them with Tria.

At the communications station, Uhura spoke, "Sir, transmission coming in from Star Fleet. We have new orders. Enterprise to stop at Trelorma on route to Alpha 1 Station to pick up Ambassador Guun and his envoy for the conference on Babel."

Captain Kirk turned in his chair and looked back at Uhura. "Lieutenant, that conference isn't for over a month."

"Command says that the Trelormans requested a 29-day ritual period at the conference location to pray before the other diplomats arrive."

Kirk shrugged. "Starship or taxi," he mumbled. "We have our orders, helm," he said in a commanding voice. "Plot course with diversion to Trelorma on our way to Alpha 1."

"Yes, Captain," said Chekov. "The stop will add just over two days to our travel sir," he added after he checked his console.

"Uhura, contact Alpha 1 and give them our new itinerary," Kirk ordered.

"Yes, sir," she responded.

Kirk sat contemplatively in his command chair for a moment, rubbing his chin. He sat up suddenly, as he recalled something, and clicked open the commlink on the chair's arm. "Kirk to Meyers." Spock looked back at the Captain curiously.

Tria's voice responded over the intercom, "Yes, Captain; what can I do for you?"

"Orders from Star Fleet to make an extra stop at Trelorma, Ms. Meyers. I'm afraid you'll be with us for a few more days than expected."

"Oh. Thank you for the heads up, Captain, but it makes no difference to me. Might I make a request, though, Captain?"

"What's that?"

"I would like your permission, if there is time, to visit the surface. I have always wanted to see Trelorma's living lagoon."

Kirk chuckled. "Well I'm under the impression that Trelormans take their time with everything they do, so I wouldn't be surprised if there won't be a few spare hours to do a little sightseeing. I'll let you know."

"Thank you, Captain." Her signal cut out.

"Living lagoon?" Kirk wondered aloud. He looked over at Spock, as he always did when he was seeking information.

Spock sat up, alert. "Trelorman religion revolves around a large lagoon their capital city is built next to. The lagoon is host to a colony of microorganisms that are so thick in the water that they stick to one's skin if they are to bathe in the lagoon. Studies of the microorganisms has revealed that they thrive off of the hot springs that feed into the lagoon's basin. However, the ability of the organisms' to induce a state of clairvoyance in a high priest is unknown."

Kirk thanked Spock and went back to overseeing the command of his ship. Spock decided to return to his duties as well, though hopefully now with a greater focus.

***

Captain Kirk and Spock walked together to the transporter room, both in dress uniform. Ambassador Guun insisted on an away team meeting him on the surface for a departure ceremony. Spock suspected that the Captain was growing tired of the Trelorman's ritualistic lifestyle before they had even come aboard. Doctor McCoy was already in the transporter room, waiting.

"I've had about enough of these diplomatic assignments, Jim. This uniform can't get any more uncomfortable."

"Agreed, Bones," said Kirk. He looked at the Ensign stationed behind the transporter controls. "We all set to go, Ensign?"

"Yes sir."

Kirk sighed, "Just waiting for one more."

"Yeah," said McCoy, "where is point-eared..." The doors hissed open, interrupting McCoy's quip. Tria walked into the room in a sea foam green dress that hung loosely just above the floor. "Oh," said the doctor.

Tria beamed, "Sorry Captain, time got away from me."

"No worries," said Kirk. "Off we go then," he stepped up on the transporter and the others followed. Once everyone stood on a pad the Captain commanded "Energize," and they faded in a twinkling light that took them to the surface.

The beamdown point they had selected was just outside the temple on the shores of the capital's lagoon. The temple was a large, grandiose structure that imitated the formation of coral. Its walls were open in strange places with windows ranging from at ones' knees to over a person's head. It was as if they were grown and not built.

On the steps-at least 50 yards away-Ambassador Guun, his envoy, and a troupe of Trelorman preists waited for them. Guun came down the steps with his arms in the air his unnecessarily long sleeves trailing on the steps behind him in waves of blue and pink. "We welcome you, Kirk of Enterprise, and your crew. Fa'talina felann, ko'or makali," he chanted.

"Prem!" Echoed the envoy and priests in chorus, "Prem ala'i makali!" Some of the priests carried tiny chimes, which they began to ring as they came down to greet them.

Still far enough away to not hear, Tria stepped up behind the captain quickly and said, "When he approaches you, say 'Prem! Ha'fa makali', it's the proper response."

"I didn't know you spoke Trelorman as well, Ms. Meyers," Kirk muttered in response.

"I don't, but I looked up a few key phrases before we left," she whispered back.

Kirk nodded in approval as Guun walked up to him. "Prem ala'i makali, Kirk. We welcome you to our planet and our most holy temple." One of the priests held a large opalescent shell, with a glittering blue-green liquid inside. He stepped forward, dipping his forefinger into the bowl and wiped it across Kirk's forehead.

Kirk looked confused, but smiled anyway. Spock coughed. "Oh ah," Kirk stuttered, "Prem haf makali, Ambassador Guun." His pronunciation was off, but the message still came across.

Guun and the priest looked slightly taken aback, but Guun smiled at the response. "Thank you, Captain. I have invited you down to join us in a ceremony of blessing before we embark to Babel. All who desire are welcome to bathe in our sacred lagoon and experience the blessings of the Fa'talin."

Not sure what to say, Kirk thanked him and followed the envoy back up the steps into the temple. The openings in the temple walls created eerie pools of light on the floor, which was textured to ripple and reflected the beams like water. A large cavernous doorway at the other end of the temple opened onto the beach and lagoon. The water was the same color as the liquid in the bowl and Kirk unconsciously rubbed the wet spot on his head.

Trees shrouded much of the area around the temple beach, long tendrils of pink and teal leaves creating a curtain on either side, adding to the mystical atmosphere. A priest stood at the shore, wearing only a loincloth adorned with shells. His arms in the air, he greeted them in the same way Guun had greeted them on the steps. Guun and his envoy stepped forward and waded into the water. The priests accompanying them hooked their arms under those of one from the envoy and held on to them as their subject fell backward into the water, completely submerging before coming back up again. Soaking wet and glittering with the blue-green Fa'talin organisms, they walked back up to the beach.

The priest in the loincloth approached Kirk and his away team. "If you do not wish to fully submerge in the blessings of the Fa'talin, we will pour the sacred water over your head. You must only wade into the water in bare feet," he looked down at their black boots.

Determined not to offend them, Kirk bent down and pulled off his boots. Spock and McCoy followed suit. Tria only had to slip off a pair of sandals. The priest ushered Kirk, barefoot, up to the shore. "The shell," he said gesturing to the Trelorman carrying the shell bowl, "or the lagoon?"

"Ah, the shell, please," Kirk said.

Nodding, the priest took the shell from the other and dipped it into the water. He held it above Kirk's head and let a thin stream pour over the Captain's hair, emptying it slowly. Kirk walked back up to the others, water and Fa'talin dripping down his face. The priest ushered Spock next, who also only requested a shell's worth of water. He then approached Tria, who looked more excited than the three Star Fleet officers she had come down with.

The priest walked her down to the shore and said again, "The shell, or the lagoon, my child?"

Still smiling, she said, "The lagoon, Fa'talina makali ma'a kesan."

The priest lit up. "A wise choice, outworlder." He handed the shell back to it's bearer and motioned for two of the other priests to come forward. They walked with her into the water. Instead of one of them holding Tria under her arms, they stood on either side of her. The beach priest standing deepest in the water, in front of them all. He shouted, "Fa'talina! Makali ma'a kesan!" Tria crossed her arms in over her chest and fell back into the water with a splash. The two attendants bent over, plunging their arms into the water. At first, the Enterprise crew weren't sure what was going on; but after a few seconds, it was obvious that the attendants were holding Tria under the water.

McCoy stepped forward. "Jim," he said, upset. Kirk wasn't sure how to react either. Seconds ticked by.

"Fa'a!" Shouted the priest. "Makali ma'a kesan! M'ri faalan ala'i ko'o'tralem!" The attendants pushed down again.

"Jim!" Shouted McCoy, taking a few steps toward the shore. The Ambassador looked back at the doctor, confused. One of the priests shot him a look that showed he was clearly offended by McCoy's reaction.

"Doctor," Spock said, calmly, "it would appear that Tria requested this ritual. It would be best to allow them to continue without protest."

McCoy shot Spock a furious look, but stood his ground.

The priest extended an arm over the water where Tria was held under. "Fa'a fa'talina, ko'o'tralem kesan malaki," he shouted. "A'lana ma'a ko'o'tralem," he said softer, his tone changing. "Makat!" The attendants dove deeper down and pulled Tria quickly out of the water, gasping. She coughed. McCoy ran down to the shore, but stopped ankle deep when he heard her laughing.

"Thank you, Ha'fa'ti," she said as she caught her breath.

The priest looked at McCoy on the beach. "You desire the malaki ma'a kesan as well?" he said, hopefully.

McCoy took a step back, "Um, no. I just...I just want my turn with the shell, that's all." Kirk laughed at his friend.

The priest looked disappointed and waded up to McCoy at the shore. The attendants left the water, Tria in toe. She walked back onto the beach to join Kirk and Spock. Kirk was watching McCoy get sprinkled with the lagoon's waters. "I think you almost gave my Chief Medical Officer a heart attack, Ms. Meyers," he joked.

"Not my intention, Captain." She had stood next to Spock, still slightly out of breath. He turned his head slightly to look at her out of the corner of his eye. Soaked from head to toe, her dress clung to her body and the glittering microorganisms made her skin glisten even more than it would if it were just wet. The fabric stuck to her skin in places that enhanced the shape of her body in a way that made him raise an eyebrow.

Spock glanced down the beach to see McCoy finishing his blessing and caught his Captain rock back on his heels to look at Tria from behind Spock's back. Spock gave Kirk a stern, disapproving look and Kirk responded by silently showing his approval by mouthing what looked like 'wow' back at his first officer. Spock shifted his weight uncomfortably as McCoy and the rest of the Trelorman group walked up onto the beach.

"Come!" said Ambassador Guun. "The blessing is complete. We are ready Captain Kirk." Most of the priests and envoy filed into the temple. The away team gathered their shoes. Kirk walked with the Ambassador, who started telling him and doctor McCoy the history of their temple. Spock and Tria to bring up the rear.

The priest in the loin cloth remained behind with the only priestess who had been in the group. The two walked slowly, talking in their native tongue. Spock waited for them to catch up, Tria standing nearby, wondering what he was waiting for. "Excuse me, priestess," he said. The priestess stopped, staring kindly at him. "Is it possible your temple has a robe for our companion, I think she may be cold." The woman nodded slowly and told him it would only be a moment. She rushed off. The Ha'fa'ti walked past them, smiling at Tria and nodding with respect.

When he was a few yards away, Tria looked at Spock and said, "I'm not cold," playfully. "It's quite warm out here."

He stiffened. "There is a breeze," he said factually, "I quite logically assumed that it was giving you a chill."

"Ah...huh," she said not believing him. She jerked her head toward the temple and he followed her lead to start back with the others. Tria walked close to him, almost swaggering in the sand. When they reached the temple, Spock stopped to brush the sand off his feet and sat on one of the benches to put his boots back on. Tria clapped her sandals together and slipped them back on.

As Spock pulled on his second boot, the priestess returned with a folded bundle. "Please, do not concern yourself with returning it. Tradition dictates that those of their first malaki ma'a kesan be given a token of their blessing. We usually provide a seashell, but I believe that this will be just as meaningful, kesan." She set it down on the bench next to Spock.

"Thank you," said Tria. The woman smiled and left. Tria stepped over to touch the silky fabric of the robe. It was a soft gauze dyed blue and coral like the Ambassador's. Picking it up, she shook it out to take a better look.

Spock stood up and held out a hand, looking at her expectantly. "If I may," he offered. She shrugged and handed the robe over. He found the armholes in the flowing garb and held one out for her to slip into. As she pushed her arms through both holes she turned unexpectedly to Spock. She stood close to him and smiled mischievously.

"Do you think I'll get a chill, still?"

"I believe that the fabric will keep you sufficiently warm in this environment." He tried not to let himself stare at the opening in the front of the robe where he could still see where her dress' neckline still clung to her breasts. She let out a thoughtful sigh. As she turned to walk back into the temple, she subtly reached over and traced a single finger over the back of his hand; then walked briskly away. Spock stood at the entrance a moment, taking a deep breath to regain his composure. Her bold, yet subtle gestures told him that she had developed a level of confidence that would make things more difficult for him. She knew what she was doing; and he was thankful that she kept her flirtatious behavior out of sight of his Captain and the doctor.

They all gathered at the temple's front steps to wait for the Ambassador to return, ready to leave. Time ticked by and just as Kirk and McCoy were beginning to become restless the Ambassador and his envoy finally made their way down the steps again.

"Captain," called Guun. "We are prepared to board your ship. I should hope that you will not mind attending a ceremony of blessing in our quarters. It is a most honored tradition." The envoy dragged trunks and boxes behind them. There was far too much to beam up all at once.

Kirk looked agitated for a moment, but hid his irritation quickly, agreeing to help them get settled in. When the Ambassador tried to invite Spock and McCoy, the doctor weaseled his way out of it by using physical examinations of the crew as an excuse. Spock, quite logically, stated that it would be best if one of them was on the bridge. Tria, meanwhile, graciously declined, as she was eager to change into clean clothes, though she would be happy to visit them later. Kirk frowned at the others when the Ambassador wasn't looking, then called up the orders for them all to be beamed back aboard the ship.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

After she had changed into a dry set of clothes, Tria shook the sand out of her gifted robe and headed to see if Ambassador Guun and his envoy were settled in yet. She arrived in time to be invited along on a tour of the ship that they had insisted the Captain give them before dinner; which they also insisted the captain attend. She felt sorry for Kirk as he tried to come up with a reason to be back on the bridge, permanently. There was no refusing the Ambassador, though. He made statements and assumptions that he pushed into motion before Kirk had a chance to respond. Guun wanted his tour to start up on the bridge,which Tria herself had yet to see.

Ambassador Guun fawned over all of the technology on th bridge, asking what nearly every knob and button was for. Kirk had his officer at each station explain their duties to the Ambassador, making rounds one by one around the bridge. Tria stood at the back of the group, an amused smile permanently fixed on her face as she watched the Trelormans' barrage Kirk and his crew with questions. Occasionally, one of them would try to include her in the conversation and she would nod or smile, whatever seemed most appropriate. The only station she found remotely interesting was Lt. Uhura's, where she asked her a few questions about the communications setup and what functions the universal translator had available for her.

While they harassed Lt. Sulu at the helm, Tria stepped casually back over to the science station where Spock sat dutifully. "I thought you were in command of the bridge while the Captain was gone," she said softly.

He pivoted slightly in the chair to look up at her. "The Captain is on the bridge, therefore, I am no longer in Command."

She smirked, "I figured you'd say something like that."

He raised a contemplative eyebrow at her. "Did you have further questions about my station or my duties on the ship, Tria? You were quite silent before."

"No, not about that. I don't think that the Captain will be able to get away from Guun until later in the evening. Do you think you'll be off duty when he's able to return to the bridge?"

"I cannot be certain. The Captain will need a report when he returns to the command.."

"Well, when you are, you know where to find me. I had hoped you would stop by."

"If the hour is not too late, I will consider your invitation."

She laughed silently at his formality.

"Captain!" Said Guun, who spotted Kirk going over some reports with Ensign Chekov while Sulu explained the helm to them. "Captain! I should like to see your engineering! I have heard much about the operation of your ship but I an eager to see it's wheels!" He motioned frantically and marched to the transporter. Kirk sighed and handed the reports back to Chekov. "Kasan Tria!" Guun said suddenly. "You must come and see as well!" The Ambassador would not take 'no' as an answer from anyone, so she tossed a sideways glance at Spock and went to join them in the transporter.

After their tour was complete, they spent nearly three hours dining the Trelorman envoy. They had invited them both to stay for post-meal rituals followed by a curious game resembling mancala. Still feeling empathy for Kirk, she casually mentioned that it would probably best that they both excused themselves. She told them she was certain that the Captain was missed on his bridge and she claimed that she was tired and wanted to retire. After they left the Trelorman's quarters, Kirk breathed an exasperated "Thank you," and practically jogged to the nearest transporter.

She returned to her quarters, keeping the lights dim. She put on a bit of soothing ambient music and found a small stack of books in her trunk. She pulled out a copy of The Scarlet Pimpernel, which she was in the middle of, and slid into the only armchair provided to settle down and read. She found the quiet solitude comforting after spending an entire day being ushered about at the whims of the jovial Ambassador.

Finishing a chapter, she closed the book over her thumb and starred into space and she reflected the book's scenes in more detail. Opening the book again, she flipped back a few pages and read them again. It was a riveting escape sequence, worth a second look. The doorbell chimed, so she placed a thin metal bookmark between the pages and stood up, setting the novel down on the table.

"Come," she said.

The doors slid open. As she expected, Spock was there. "Good evening," he said, stepping inside.

"I'm glad you came," she said.

He gave her a curious look but didn't respond. He picked up the book and said, "The rebellion of the revolution, an interesting choice."

She shrugged. "It's quaint," she said simply. "One of my colleagues recommended it to me. She's a big fan of adventure stories. Personally, the most compelling aspect, I think, is to save the French aristocrats from execution. On one hand, it can be seen as a promotion of the social classes; but I like to think that the character's intentions were to rescue innocent people who were just as forced by the structure as the common people."

"The French Revolution was meant to be a resistance to the monarchy. From what I gathered, the people were starving and their government overtaxed them to pay off their debts. It is a reasonable response to demand change in a system that benefits only the few elite."

She sighed. "I didn't say the revolution wasn't a worthy cause. What I'm trying to say is that the aristocrats only means of survival was to maintain the system they had been born into. Taxation in order to continue their lifestyle to someone living in squalor might seem selfish, but think of those people as well. For them, it was all they knew. The revolutionary's response was to overthrow them and round them up to kill them all. It is that they also killed women and children who did nothing more than live the lives they were told to live that bothers me. Hence, I admire the Pimpernel."

"An interesting assessment of the period. Though, ultimately, do you not believe that ancient France's direction to democracy was more beneficial to the entirety of the country?"

"Oh, I do. War is a nasty thing. What people will do in the face of pure survival, in retrospect, is frightening. I think that they had the right ideas about why they should have changed their country, I simply believe that they went about it in a prejudiced manner."

He looked intrigued. "Your specialty is cultural and linguistic anthropology. I am guessing you have done a lot of study of social anthropology as well."

She laughed lightly. "Well, you can't really understand much about a culture if you don't understand why they behaved the way they did."

"Indeed." He set the book back down. "I thought perhaps you could accompany me to my quarters. I have a few Vulcan texts you can look at and perhaps I can show you the ka'athyra you have so frequently requested I play."

"Sure," she said.

***

Being a senor officer, Spock's quarters were spacious but still managed to be somewhat sterile in appearance upon entry. The front room was white with bare walls. There was a desk and a few chairs there, with a computer console and a few other scientific devices Tria wasn't familiar with. She smiled at the sight of the three dimensional chess board that sat behind the desk chair with his Vulcan lute propped up next to it. Spock coughed and she stepped out of the doorway and let it slide shut behind her.

He stood in the middle of the room with his hands clasped behind his back like she was there for an inspection; watching her as she walked slowly around the room. She crossed to the ka'athyra and peered at him over her shoulder. "May I?" she said, motioning to the instrument. Spock nodded, so she picked it up tenderly.

Tria cradled the body awkwardly in her left arm as she strummed her fingers lightly across the strings. It made a clamorous noise and she winced. Looking amused, he turned one the chairs toward him and he reached out for his instrument. "I will show you the proper way," he said. Taking it, he sat in the chair with the curved bottom resting neatly over his leg. With the strings fanned to the ceiling, he reached over and plucked a chord.

"Well of course I would hold it wrong," she joked, resting one hip up onto the desk.

"It is not uncommon for humans to attempt to hold it like a small harp. I expect you have seen many images of Ancient Grecians playing harps; especially considering your mothers occupation. However, it is necessary to rest the instrument on a knee so that one hand is free to strum and the other is open to adjust the tuning knobs." He paused a second, then asked, "Did you have something specific you wanted to hear?"

"No," she said slowly. "Why don't you play me your favorite song."

Spock raised an eyebrow at her, curious at the way she made her request. It was like she was teasing him. "Very well." He played a simple Vulcan tune, calm yet monotonous. Tria listened in silence as he played, watching his face. She didn't find the tune very appealing, but she never did much like Vulcan music. His expression, however, showed her that he enjoyed playing. She recognized the slight softening of his features, something which she did find appealing, even if the tune was not.

He finished off the last notes of the piece and looked up at her. "You're very good," she complimented.

"Thank you."

She slid up to sit full on the desktop, leaning down on her knees. "Do you know any old Earth classics by heart?"

"Quite a few."

"Hmm," she thought a moment. "Debussy?"

"Ah," he said, shifting, "indeed I know a few by that composer." He tuned the ka'athyra to the proper key swiftly. He started into a soft rendition of Clare De Lune recomposed for the instrument. Tria sat further forward, propping an elbow in her lap and cradling her chin in her hand. The slow, soothing start caught her attention much better than the Vulcan tune.

Tria realized that she had not heard this particular song in quite a while, as she usually preferred more modern artists. It was lovely. The gentle waves that the song produced with each arpeggio reminded her of when she was a child, moving around with her mother. Her mother would send her off into museums on scavenger hunts for exact locations of specific works to keep Tria entertained while her mother worked. The music in Terran museums was always classical in nature, usually orchestrated or piano solos, and always instrumental. She had always been so happy growing up with her mother, she could not imagine what her life would have been like if things had been different. She began to wonder if Spock had been happy, growing up on Vulcan. Deep in thought, she stared past him at the wall.

"Tria?" Spock had stopped playing. "Is something wrong?"

She was jerked out of her thoughts and looked back at him, surprised. "No..." she trailed off.

"You look distressed." He stood up, setting the instrument down on the desk behind her.

Tria shook her head, "No I'm okay, I was just thinking." She looked down again, hesitant to meet his gaze and still a little lost in her thoughts. She took a deep breath, "It's nothing. It just reminded me of home," she said, referring to the song.

He looked confused. "In what way does being reminded of home make you look so concerned?"

Now she looked confused. "Oh well," she didn't really want to explain it to him. It seemed a little too personal. Of course, personal was what she wanted, but she was still apprehensive about breaching the subject. "I was just considering the ways that we were raised to differently; and wondered how things might have been different."

"And this consideration disturbs you?" he seemed to be analyzing her as a means to help her. It was a little coarse, but she knew he meant well.

She sighed. "I think that...I would not have been as happy if I were raised on Vulcan, like my father wanted. Really, I've always known it, but now I think it's just more obvious."

"It is not entirely logical to speculate what could have been, if the circumstances were different. They do not change what is fact in the present." Tria didn't respond to that and just looked at the floor, still thinking. Spock realized that she was still ruminating over the subject and that it was something that had been on her mind ever since they had met. He was also curious about the possibilities, though it did not affect him in quite the way it did her. Spock decided that the best way to help her put it behind her was to show her. After all, talking takes time...

"Will you permit me to see your thoughts?"

Her head snapped up to look at him. "You mean a mind meld?"

"Correct. Clearly this is something that burdens you and I believe the best way for you to put yourself at ease is to share my experiences with you. I, too, am curious what it is to be a Vulcan who does not follow our ways; so this would be the most logical solution." He looked very certain of himself.

Tria slid off the desk to stand in front of him. "A-a-are you sure? I thought it wasn't something you would do with just anyone."

He gave her a censured look. "You are not 'just anyone'. I have known you for six-point-seven-nine days. I assure you I have not made this decision lightly."

She exhaled a long, relieved breath. "Okay."

Spock moved a little closer to her, making Tria's heart beat faster. "You must clear your mind," he said softly, "do you understand?"

She nodded weakly. He held up one hand, hesitant, as his eyes met hers.

Tria looked up at him unwavering, though she felt a little like her knees might buckle. Spock reached over and lightly brushed a stray curl off her cheek. She touched his hand before he began, resting her fingers on his wrist. He placed the tips of his fingers on her face; over her temple and chin with his thumb over her cheek. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on steadying her breathing. Spock's voice was gravely as he spoke, "My thoughts to your thoughts," his voice gravely. "Your thoughts to my thoughts." With his second phrase, his voice wavered slightly.

Tria was not sure what to expect, but she was not prepared for the rush that followed.

She gasped as it hit her like a wave. Spock instinctively moved closer to her and placed his other hand to the small of her back to steady her. Tria opened her eyes and met his gaze, beginning to see clearer the wall of information that had hit her. All at once she began to sort through the thoughts and emotions Spock was showing her. She sensed that he had not meant to open his mind so quickly, but connecting her her mind had given him a momentary loss of control.

She saw what he had experienced as a child and the events that led up to the most logical decision to embrace his Vulcan half over his Human half. She felt his childhood anguish over being different from the other children and shared her own experiences. While Spock was being mocked for being a half-breed on Vulcan, Tria was being scolded in grade school by her teachers for not doing well enough in all her studies. She saw his efforts to please his father and Spock saw the shame she had felt when her own father had said she was too far gone to learn the Vulcan ways. It went on this way for a while, until Tria began to let her mind wander and unconsciously looked for what she wished was there, a wordless confession.

At first Spock was taken aback by her sudden change in direction, but he only paused for a second as their minds were intertwined. Her direction of thought was no secret to him. He allowed her to see what brand of confusion and interest their encounters caused him. He saw her mind come at ease to know that while he was cautious to proceed due to his loyalty to Vulcan logic: he was profoundly affected by her presence and felt it was illogical to cast her aside for the sake of an easier path. Tria, having no sense of control in the way her mind wandered, pictured all the ways she had imagined being closer to him, both casually and intimately. When she realized what she had done, she physically moved back, embarrassed.

Spock gripped her with an unexpected strength, keeping her from shrinking away from him. He still had a stony look on his face, but she felt him drop a bit of his Vulcan control over his emotions. The warmth she felt was not describable, for it was a complex mix between admiration, respect, and amusement. He slowly broke the link, letting his fingers move lightly from the nerves and vessels he was placing pressure on; and instead moved them into her hair. Even with the link broken, she felt a lingering bit of him there, in her mind. She sighed, sad that it was over; but was surprised when she felt the hand at her back bring her closer. She stiffened. He bent over her slowly and laid his lips lightly on hers, his other hand cradling her head at the nape of her neck.

She was surprised at first, but satisfaction set in quickly. She leaned closer into him, returning the kiss eagerly. Tria reached up and touched his face affectionately, but was unable to focus on what feeling might have been there. It seemed to last a lifetime as they were caught in the thrill of the moment. Soon, though, Spock loosened the pressure on her back and started to pull away. Sad, but vindicated, she settled back as he released his grip on her. She felt a little lightheaded, but resisted the swoon, unwilling to let it get the best of her. Spock stood up straight, tugging at the bottom of his uniform to even out the fabric.

Composing himself, Spock said, "I apologize if I stepped over a line." His voice was flat and inelegant.

"What makes you think that you stepped over a line?" She slid closer to him. "I think you know better than that." Her voice was husky, almost predatory.

He peered at her pointedly. "I do admit, I gathered that you would not be opposed to the gesture."

Tria smirked. "Oh? And what did you gather from my reaction?" She was amused at his blundering attempt to brush off the action like it was nothing.

Spock shifted slightly, trying to maintain his composure. "I would have to speculate that you enjoyed it." He coughed and raised his chin slightly.

"Ah, but you knew that I would. Now what I'm wondering is if you enjoyed it, too. After all, you made the first move."

"It was not," he said slowly, "an entirely logical decision."

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "That's the point, Spock. Emotions aren't logical."

He gazed at her for a while, thinking. Her expression was like a siren to him, mouth parted and an intense, penetrating stare. "I am concerned...that I will not be able to control them with regards to you."

"You're concerned," she responded, "buy you're not positive you can't. I'm positive you can. I think the only thing that's stopping you is a fear of loosing yourself." His brow furrowed at the suggestion. "You won't," she assured him. "I won't let you. I respect what you are far more now that I did before. I never wanted to change you, I just..." She laid a hand on his chest, not finishing her sentence. Tria had a feeling she knew what she meant, though. Spock touched her fingers where they lay, silent.

He reached out with his opposite hand and touched her shoulder, trembling fingers sliding under the brightly colored robe she still wore from her evening with the Ambassador. Tria sensed that he was bottling up whatever it was that wanted to get out and it was taking a great deal of effort for him to keep his Vulcan dignity. "Spock," she whispered, caressing on his face. "Let it go."

"It is not..." he protested.

She interrupted. "Do you want to?"

Spock took a deep breath, "I do not want others to see me in this way." His face became anguished. "Not again."

Tria looked at him sympathetically. She knew what he meant. The shame he had felt when his friends saw him in the midst of the blood fever. It was only a few years ago, but when she had witnessed the memory of it, she knew that to him it still seemed like it was yesterday. "They won't. You know they won't. You're will is too strong for that."

"It is...logical...that I would be able to control myself under...normal circumstances." He was straining. She dropped her hand away from her face, to help him concentrate. "You must learn to control yourself, too. You must not toy with me when I am on duty."

She smiled up at him. "I won't. I won't ask you to be anything other than what they know you as. I think I'd like it better that way." He raised an eyebrow, needing clarification. "It's like my secret," she said, stroking his face again. Spock was amused by that idea; Tria wanting the knowledge he was capable of emotionality to be kept to herself.

His hand still on her shoulder, his expression softened as he slowly slipped the fabric off her shoulder. Two delicate gold chain straps served to hold up the gauzy frock she had changed into. Spock took notice of the decoration and the way it complimented her light olive skin. He ran his thumb down her arm, taking in her warmth and soft texture. He began to grasp just how much he wanted to look at her and batted her hand gently away from his face so that he could slide the other side of the robe off her shoulders. She followed his movements gracefully, letting him push the fabric aside and dropping both her arms so that the robe fell to the floor.

He barely touched her arms as he ran his fingertips from the edges of her clavicle down to her elbows. She shivered and giggled as he touched her elbows, the sensation tickling her. His eyes wrinkled, entertained, but he still barely smiled. He wrapped his arms around her again, bringing her close so that he could kiss her again. Tria pressed against his body, enjoying the feeling of being so close to him. The pressure of bosom against his chest sent a flame through his core, making him curl his fingers into her back.

Feeling bold, Tria parted her lips and slid her tongue lustfully into his mouth. She felt his body tense and his senses reel. Seeing no signal to stop, she continued to play between his lips. Spock was lost in the taste, sweet yet citrus-like. It gave rise to something carnal within him. Soon his hands were tangled in her hair as he started to venture into her mouth in turn. Tria's hands wandered about his midsection, caressing each muscle on his back and arms.

When she slid her hands under the bottom of his uniform's tunic, Spock inhaled sharply and pulled away, wide-eyed. She traced her fingers up his spine, raising his shirt higher. She thought for a moment he might protest; but as she pushed upward to pull it over his head, he bowed his head obediently and let her jerk it off with a swift pull. She quickly began running her hands over his chest, eager to feel every bit of him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and kissed him lightly there. She could feel his blood pounding under her lips. As she traced her tongue up the vein to his jaw she heard a low growl escape his throat. It only encouraged her, so she craned her head so that she could nibble at his earlobe.

Spock felt as though the fire burst into a blaze and arched his head back, hissing. He grappled her hard about her hips as she continued to tease his cartilage and the sensitive nerves that resided there. Unable to take anymore he picked her up in one swift motion, as he had before; and carried her behind the screen that divided his work area from the private area of the quarters.

The room beyond was hung with deep red curtains and a small meditation area was set up. The only light was the strange glow that came from the statues and ever-burning candles. Spock set her back down on her feet and cupped her face, studying her. She was sure he was regaining control – he so wanted to maintain his control – but she did not think that now was the time for it. Even though she had vowed she would let him have his Vulcan dignity, she heart screamed for him to loose all restraint.

He began again where he had in the front room, stroking her skin. Tria started to wonder if she would go mad with anticipation. However, just as before, Spock started to slowly shift the straps of her dress off her shoulders. Tria tugged subtly at the sides of her skirt and the dress fell off her body, the chain straps chiming as they hit the floor. She stood in front of him, bare, the strange light reflecting on her skin. Spock seemed to be inspecting her, his eyes wandering over her exposed body. He was hesitant to touch her, but once he let his hands explore her curves, it was not long before he could not decide where to put them next.

Spock gently guided her back to his small bed. Tria laid down, Spock climbing over her, caressing her breasts. Instinctively, he leaned down to taste them, all to absorbed to the way they reacted to his probing tongue. She moaned and arched her back against him. Spock was glad that he was able to please her in this way. He thought perhaps he could do this all night; touching her, tasting her, learning every reaction to every action he could take. She lifted a knee between his legs as a way to gauge his arousal. Spock groaned and raked his teeth over the mound of her breast.

Satisfied, Tria wriggled under him to get at his trousers. Spock sat up on his knees and gazed down at her, puzzled. She frowned at him, the motion bringing him just out of reach. He sat thinking there for what, to Tria, seemed like ages. "Wha-" she started, but he interrupted her by softly caressing the curls between her thighs. Her question turned into a sigh as he touched her there. He did something then that she did not expect; ever-so-gently, he slid a finger between her tender folds. Tria cried out, squirming. He explored her slowly and with every movement she moaned and clawed at the bed.

Suddenly, he stopped. Panting, she looked up at him, confused. His eyes seemed distant, determined. He leaned down over her and kissed her softly. "Pok guv-tvi-rivak tu?" He whispered.

"Ha," she answered.

Spock closed his eyes and nodded soberly. He turned in the dimness to sit at the edge of the cot and strip down. She was anxious to see him, but he was too quick for her and had climbed back onto the bed. He slowly lowered his body down over hers. The pressure of the stiffness on her thighs made her push up to meet his mouth, kissing him eagerly. She pressed her hips against his, writhing as he moved a strong hand down her side. Spock was breathing heavily now and he pulled away from her lips to meet her eyes with an intense gaze. Tria felt that something had finally given and there was no going back until he was satiated.

He clutched her firmly behind one knee, lifting her just enough such that he was pressed against her where he had probed her not long before. With his one hand displaying his strength while it held her leg, he used the other to gently caress her belly. Tria whimpered, burning because she felt him there. Slowly, he pushed forward and slid into her. The sensation was prodigious and he fell forward, barely caching himself on an elbow. Spock let out a throaty grunt and Tria voiced a long, blissful moan. She wrapped her legs around his center and her arms around his neck, pulling him close.

The hot tightness was everywhere. Spock's arms shook as lay against her, his mind was reeling, but there was no logic to be had there. Only his instincts drove him. He started in her at a steady pace, making Tria moan louder. She clawed her fingers over his scalp and pulled at his hair. Adrenaline rushed in his veins and he moved faster. Soon it was a frenzy. Flesh and sweat bonded them everywhere they touched. Long, wet, passionate kisses came and went as Tria pulled his face to hers between cries of pleasure.

She began to pinch and stroke his ears, which was enough to drive him to his limit. Craning to him, she nipped at them again. Her tongue drawing up the outside of his lobes Spock emit a feral growl and began to drive into her so hard and fast, the strong metal frame under the mattress began to creak. Tria moved to kiss him again deeply, which drove him over the edge. He held her there, plunged deep one last time. The rapture subsided slowly, turning into a dizzying euphoria.

Spock fell, exhausted, onto his side against the wall. Tria gently turned him onto his back and laid on top of him, her head cradled in the dip of his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her. The savageness that had overcome him was gone and it left him both mentally and physically taxed. He peered down to see that Tria had begun to doze off on top of him. He decided that it was best if he slept as well and drifted off, a sense of complacency filling his being.


	5. Chapter 5

_**3/24/2009- A second part added to this chapter!**_

**Chapter 5  
**  
Spock woke with Tria still asleep, clinging to him on the bed. His best prediction for the amount of time that had past was approximately five hours, based on his internal clock. He nudged her shoulder so as to roll her off him so that he could get up. She stirred, waking just enough to groan and roll. Still barely conscious, she eyes flickered open and barely mumbled "What time is it?" but was asleep again before Spock could give her an answer. He saw that he had almost two hours until he had to be back on duty again, so he washed up, dressed in his uniform, then decided that he would finish some reports he had to file for Starfleet. He had a feeling that he wouldn't have the time to finish them after his shift that day.

In comparison to the past few days, Spock felt much clearer minded since last night. After he had eaten he moved up to the work area. He spotted Tria's robe on the floor, picked it up, and draped it over the chair opposite his computer station. If Tria did not wake up before he had to leave, he composed a note on the computer console to inform her his intentions to return directly after he was done for the day. He figured that it would be best if they talked as soon as possible, so that neither of them were distracted by this recent development. Settling down in front of his instruments he started to work. He worked in silence for almost an hour before the door chimed. He stood up, confused, and hit the controls.

Captain Kirk stood in the hall. Spock raised an eyebrow at the Captain, not expecting to see him until he was on the bridge. "Captain?" he said quizzically.

"Commander Spock," Kirk said, a little louder than necessary, "I noticed that your reports were off yesterday and I wanted to discuss them with you." Kirk elbowed his way into Spock's quarters.

"Captain I do not believe my reports were –"

"Perhaps dinner again then, Captain!" Ambassador Guun was walking swiftly down the hall. "I so looked forward to hearing some adventure stories!" Guun appeared, framed in the door.

"Uh," Kirk said, "I'll let you know if I'm available."

Guun beamed. "I'm sure you will be! I will see you at 16:00!" He marched away.

Spock closed the door. Kirk was rubbing his forehead, looking annoyed. "Sorry, Spock," he said, "I can't get away from that man once he finds me."

"Captain," Spock began, "You are certain that there are discrepancies in my reports from yesterday? I went over them three times before I submitted them to you for review."

Kirk chuckled lightly. "No, your reports are fine."

"I see." His eyes flicked to the door, "Then, I suspect you were looking for an excuse to end a conversation with the Ambassador."

Kirk sighed. "The sooner we get to Alpha 1, the better. I can't get any work done. After I left the bridge last night Guun came down to my quarters and insisted again that I play that game of theirs. They didn't leave for hours. I barely got any sleep."

"Perhaps if you find someone in the crew who can keep the Ambassador entertained, you will not have to devote so much time to handling diplomacy with the Trelormans."

Kirk considered that a moment. "I'll have to consider that. Thank you, Spock." He pause a moment, thinking. "Do you mind if I hide out in here for a few minutes? He said something about a ritual of waking-or rising-I'm not sure; then he was going to one of the rec halls."

It occurred to Spock that while his first reaction was to oblige his Captain, he did think he was prepared for what would follow if Tria woke up while Jim was still in his quarters. It certainly would embarrass her and Spock would not know how to explain to his Captain-and his friend-what was going on between then. Especially since, at the moment, he was not entirely certain himself. Jim lingered, stepping toward his desk and leaning on it as he waited for a response. "We could go up to the bridge early, Captain," he suggested. "If you are have not been able to get as much done as efficiently due to the Ambassador's presence, it may be the best solution to your problem." Kirk looked doubtful, glancing tight-lipped around the room. "For the time being, that is," he added.

"Right," Kirk said slowly. "Why don't we head up to the bridge."

Spock nodded and stepped back over to the door, activating the controls again so it opened. He noticed Kirk staring at the chair where the multicolored robe sat and thought, for a moment, that Kirk might say something. Instead, the Captain followed him out of the quarters and down the hall to the nearest tubolift.

"Well," Kirk said as they walked, "At least we probably won't run into them if they're in the middle of some ritual."

"Indeed Captain," Spock agreed. "Considering the length of their customs thus far, the likelihood of them finishing so quickly is quite low."

When they stepped into the lift, Jim relaxed a little and ordered it to the bridge. The lift had barely moved when Jim said, "Spock, I'd like to ask you something; as both your Captain and your friend."

He had his full attention. "What is that, sir?"

Jim waved a hand as if to wash away the notion and said, "Okay forget Captain. As your friend."

"Certainly."

He hesitated a moment, his thought caught in his throat. "Now, I could be wrong," he began, "but I could have sworn that was the robe the Trelormans gave Tria Meyers yesterday in your quarters."

Logic was the best way to handle this, Spock decided. "You are correct, she left it in my quarters. I'm sure she will retrieve it today." An omission. Deceitful, but effective. Still, it left a bad taste in his mouth. Something told him there was really no reason to hide anything from his friend other than his judgment of Jim's notorious behavior with women. He suspected that he would not react...logically.

"Oh," Kirk still didn't sound convinced.

Kirk's methods of questioning Spock about personal matters was usually particularly awkward. However, the Captain was also his friend and even though Spock didn't see the logic in dwelling on the topic, he knew that Kirk wouldn't let it go until he had a grasp on the situation. Despite his best judgment, he offered, "We have been having regular conversations about Vulcan philosophies and contrasts in our rearing since she came aboard. It has been a stimulating week." Perhaps stimulating was not the best choice of words.

Kirk lit up. "So, you two are getting along pretty well?"

Spock though his question was odd. "We do not argue, if that is what you mean."

Kirk shook his head. "No, um. I guess I'm just wondering … if you're – you know – involved." Spock raised an eyebrow at him. He added quickly, "Wondering, you know, as your friend."

"Captain," Kirk frowned, "Jim," he corrected. "As my friend, I hope you would understand a desire for clandestineness. However, if you insist I speak candidly, I will do so."

"Please do," Jim said.

Spock paused, his face stoic. Flatly, as if he were analyzing some unknown life form, he said, "Whatever involvement I have had with Tria Meyers has not manifested into something that can be defined by human terms. The similarities and differences between us are very stark, but there is a high level on interest on both our parts. At this time I cannot be certain what will become of it."

Kirk grinned, amused at the way his first officer explained his relationship as if he were giving him a report. The lift slowed as it reached the bridge. "Spock," he said slowly. "Are you seeing her, or not?" Kirk spoke in a low tone, the lift doors opened.

Spock considered the question, then said, quite diplomatically, "Jim, I believe for the to be true, you would need agreement from both parties. If you wanted to know for sure, you would have to ask her. I suspect, however, the answer is yes." Spock stepped onto the bridge, Kirk following him, grinning.

* * *

When Spock returned to his quarters he found Tria sitting in the living area, reading. He was glad to see she had not left, meaning that she had found his message and was comfortable enough to take up his offer to stay. She stood as soon as he came into the room, dropping the book in her seat and crossing to his in one swift motion. She slid her arms around his torso, burring her face in his chest, sighing. The surge of empathic warmth and affection that emanated from her when she touched him was palpable. Spock let the feeling wash into him, careful to maintain his mental shields that kept his emotions under control. Without it, he predicted that reversion to the savage, violent ways of his ancestors would take hold of him; which would eventually wreak too much havoc on his body and his mind, killing him in days.

He pulled back from her, holding her shoulders and looking her in the eye. "We must talk," he said in his usual flat tone.

She smiled at him, reverently. "Of course."

He studied her, trying to read her expression. Her eyes were soft, mouth pursed into a delicate smile. He suspected that she had been waiting to hear what he had to say all day. "Rarely," he began, "have found myself taking any interest in a woman. You have proven to be a rare case."

"You say it like I was an anomaly you have observed in space," she grinned wryly.

"It is not my intention to reduce you to a level of scientific study."

Her face softened again, apologetic, "I was just teasing you, Spock. You take everything so seriously."

He raised an eyebrow, "This is a serious matter." She didn't riposte, so he continued. "I have found myself thinking of you … on duty. I should not be distracted while I should be focusing on my duties."

"I don't mean to distract you," she said, defensively. "Well – when I'm not around you, at least."

"It is not entirely your fault. I take most of the blame. I was not honest with myself about the way being in your presence affects me. I had tried to write it off as a side effect of being receptive to your empathic projections. That was not true, it never was. I was a fool to pretend I was not attracted to you." It was hard for him to admit, but it had to be said.

"I understand," she said simply. Spock was surprised, he had expected a different response; but she looked at him serenely.

He hesitated, concerned what he planned to say next might hurt her, "Do you understand, then, that if we are are to continue on like this, we should be discreet."

Her expression changed, but she could see she wasn't hurt, just confused. "I don't. Understand – that is. You don't mean you want this to be a secret, do you?" Her voice turned to distaste with the last phrase.

"No, that is not what I mean. I have seen human couples behave more openly in public than Vulcans do. It is not appropriate. That is what I hope you understand. There is no reason to be deceitful about our involvement with each other. There would be no point in trying to keep it a secret regardless of how I felt about that. Jim already knows, therefore it won't be long before the entire crew knows. News travels as fast as the air circulates on this ship."

She smiled. "I see what you're getting at. And, yes, I do understand what your reasons may be. I know you all to well now," she brushed her fingertips over his jawline. "I think I can maintain an appropriate level of restraint when we are not alone. I hope, though, when we are alone you will shed some of your veneer for me."

He ran his fingers through her soft curls. "I can see no reason to disagree with that." Tria looked into his eyes for a long time. He admired the strange contrast they created. They were a steely gray, but they always projected warmth that went to his core. Spock caressed her face, enjoying the softness of her skin. She slid her hands around his torso and using his shoulders, propped herself up on her toes to kiss him. He pulled her to him and found one of her hands to press palm-to-palm to his. He opened his mind to her, letting he feel without restraint the emotions she stirred in him.

When they parted lips to take a breath, he said, "I had promised to show you Vulcan literature, yesterday. I never did get around to it." He wanted her, badly, but he did not want her to think he was lascivious.

Tria giggled at him. "What do you think I've been doing in here all day?" She pressed her body full against him and kissed him again deeply. Her touch amplified the emotions rising in her and Spock could feel the eagerness she felt for him. He suspected that Vulcan literature collection was not the only thing she had reflected on while he was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Arrival at Alpha 1 was a relief for Captain Kirk as he put the final touches on the paperwork required for the transfer of the Brondus V artifacts as well as the Trelorman ambassadorial envoy. The Brondus V artifacts had already been beamed over to the science lab and the debriefing session was arranged for 1400 hours. Ambassador Guun and his people were taking their time to leave the ship, but the sooner the better for Kirk. After days of formal dinners and tedious rituals, he was more than glad to be rid of them.

Yeoman Rand entered his ready room with a clipboard, presenting it to him for a series of approvals for routines to be run while they were near Alpha 1. He took the clipboard and went through them swiftly. The Yeoman stood by dutifully, waiting for him to be finished. The door chirped, and Kirk absentmindedly called for them to enter, still reading over the last of the orders before he signed them. He expected to see one of his crew, so was surprised to look up and see Tria enter instead.

He handed the clipboard back to the Yeoman, thanking her. Ms. Rand took it and walked briskly past Tria and out the door, but not without giving the other woman a sideways glance. Kirk stood behind his desk, motioning Tria in. "Ms. Meyers," he said, "what can I do for you? I hope there wasn't any problems transporting those artifacts over to the science lab."

Tria stepped closer and Kirk waved her into one of the chairs opposite his desk. They both sat as Tria said, "That's not what I came to ask you about, Captain." Kirk looked intrigued. "I wanted to talk about something a little less … official. Do you mind if I speak candidly?"

Kirk smiled. "Of course."

"I've been thinking about this for a few days and I didn't think there was a better way than to just ask you. I'm afraid I don't want to leave your ship just yet."

"Oh?" His smile turned to a mischievous grin.

She put up a hand for him to stop. "Please," she laughed. "Captain, I didn't come here to be patronized."

He tried to look more serious, "I didn't mean any offense, Ms. Meyers."

"Why don't you just call me Tria, sir. Ms. Meyers is what my schoolmates called my mother."

Kirk laughed. "In that case, since this is unofficial business, you can call me Jim." He folded his hands on the desk, leaning back. "What about your work the the Brondus alien society."

"The further reports my colleagues have been sending us from Brondus V tell me they don't require me to return there. I could if I wanted to, but, as I'm here, I think it would be obvious that I don't. Anything new they find that needs translating can be sent to me over subspace, so it's not necessary for me to return to the system unless a new site is discovered. Then I might consider it."

"So instead of returning to Brondus V, you want to stay on my ship."

"Yes."

Kirk looked a little more serious. "Well, typically civilians are not stationed aboard star ships unless there is good reason."

"That had occurred to me," she said quickly. "I was hoping I could be of use to you in your travels. After all, exploration is the name of the game here, isn't it? I would love the chance to study alien cultures and perhaps my background in cultural anthropology and language can benefit contact with them."

He considered that a moment. Kirk knew the possibility for her to stay was there, but he knew exploration and cultural study wasn't what was drawing her to the Enterprise. "Speaking candidly," he said, hoping that using her own words wouldn't make him seem too forward; "Does Spock know you're here?"

She clasped her hands in her lap, looking down at them shyly. She smiled, sighed, and looked back at him. "No. I had a feeling that the idea might be difficult for him. Vulcan pride is … difficult to predict. Especially when it comes to personal matters."

He nodded appreciatively. "I think I know that all too well. I'm just concerned about what his thoughts on the matter would be. I mean, I know you and he are … um …"

"I think Vulcans would call it courting," she offered. "Though I wouldn't know for sure," she gave him a wry smile.

"Well whatever you want to call it, I've never seen Spock take interest in any woman without some alien drug or cosmic effect influencing him." Something occurred to him. He grinned and joked, "You're not hypnotizing my first officer, are you, Tria?"

She laughed. "If I were I would have made him come talk to you and spare me the embarrassment."

Still amused with himself, but trying to get to the point, he continued. "I guess what I'm getting at is; are you sure he will be okay with it? I think I can wrangle you a spot on board, at least for a little while. I'd be glad to have you, regardless of your motives. But if Spock ..."

"Jim," she stopped him short. "I know what you're getting at. If you are worried about my wellbeing, you needn't. If you're concerned about what he might say, then ask him. However he told me yesterday that he wished Alpha 1 was on the other side of the quadrant, just so that it would take that much longer to get here."

Kirk looked doubtful. "He said that."

"Yes," she said firmly. "Though I would hope you have the courtesy not to repeat that. I doubt he would look kindly on my sharing private conversations with his Captain; even if you are his friend."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Now she looked doubtful. "I promise," he added. She nodded, believing him now. She seemed to be waiting for some sort of answer, as she didn't say anything else right away. "I'll give it some consideration. I have to clear it with the fleet commander, but I doubt it will be a problem." He paused, not sure how to voice the equivocal feeling he still had about Spock.

She must have known what he was thinking, somehow. "If you're still worried about him, then ask him. I'll talk to him the next time I see him, but I doubt that it won't be until after the briefing."

"Vulcan pride aside, why didn't you ask him before you came to me?"

Tria smiled softly. "I think that he would have wanted to make the arrangements for me, see to it I had a place on the ship, that everything was in order... you know. But I didn't want him to. I wanted to do it myself."

He smirked. "Maybe you have a little of that Vulcan pride yourself."

She chuckled. "You might think that, but no. I think that this particular brand of ego is discernibly human. Spock wouldn't understand that, but you would."

"I think I know exactly what you mean."

"I'm glad." She stood up to leave. "Thank you, Jim. I appreciate your help. If all goes well, I'll be honored to have the chance to stay aboard."

"I'm sure we'll be lucky to have you."

Tria smiled, nodded respectfully, and left the Captain's ready room; hoping for the best.

***

Kirk entered the transporter room to find his first officer waiting for him. The Vulcan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, waiting for his arrival before beaming over to Alpha 1. "Captain," he said, "the Trelormans were most unhappy you were not here to see them off."

Kirk smirked. "I'm sure they were," he said. Kirk had been lucky enough to get a hold of Rear Admiral Ross just before Ambassador Guun was scheduled to beam over to Alpha 1. Official Starfleet business had turned out to be a good excuse to avoid the Ambassador, though officially, he would never admit it. He turned to the ensign at the transporter console. "We all set?"

"Ready sir," the young man said.

Kirk motioned for Spock to lead the way. They took their positions on the pads and were transferred to Alpha 1's transporter room. Spock led them out of the room, "The briefing will take place in Science Lab 3," he said as they walked. They passed a group of officers coming off the turbolift at the end of the hall and took their place in the little room. Spock tapped the console commanding, "Deck two." The lift took off.

"Spock," he said suddenly, "did you talk to Tria before you sent the Trelormans on their way?"

"I did not, Captain. Was there a problem with the artifacts after they were transferred?"

"No." Kirk silently cursed. He'd hoped to avoid having to be the one to drop the proverbial hammer. "She came to talk to me before she beamed over to see the last of the artifacts brought over. She asked if she could get permission to stay on board the Enterprise after we left Alpha 1."

For what little he could read, Spock was surprised. One eyebrow raised typically, but it was the minuscule jaw drop that made Kirk wonder if Tria wasn't playing with fire. "I was not aware she was interested in staying aboard the Enterprise." His tone was carefully flat, making it even more difficult to gage his reaction.

"She said something about wanting to arrange it herself. I think she thought that if she asked you about it, you would have tried to do it for her."

The lift stopped, doors opening. Stepping out Spock said, "It is logical that I would be able to help make such a thing possible as I am a Starfleet officer."

They stood in front of the lift, the doors closing behind them. "Regardless, I spoke with Admiral Ross. The word is given. Six weeks permission for civilian guest consultant pertaining to Federation-Alien studies." Spock was silent. Kirk could almost see the cogs moving in his head. "I'm telling you because I don't think she'll want to take it if you don't want her to."

"Jim," he said, "you should not presume to play matchmaker."

Now Kirk raised his eyebrows. "Who's presuming?" He pointed at the Vulcan. "Look, she came to me. I don't have a problem with it," he said pointedly. "What I'm saying is, if you do, there's no point. Even if this is a good opportunity for her line of work, she wouldn't have considered working with Starfleet if it weren't for you. So stop being so damn stubborn and give me a yes or no. Or give her a yes or no. I don't care, but I'm damn well not trying to play matchmaker for a Vulcan. Logic doesn't mesh too well with romance." His choice of words didn't seem to set well with Spock, but he didn't care. Discussing subjects such as this were always like pulling teeth with him, best friend, or not. He turned heel and started down the hall, taking a left at the fork.

"Captain," Spock called.

Kirk turned around. He was getting what passed for an amused look. "That way." Kirk rolled his eyes, turned heel, and went down the other hall.

***

Following her briefing, the staff of Alpha 1 filed out of the room, save for a few key personnel who came to ask Tria a few additional questions. Kirk was talking to the station's commander and the two also wandered out of the room, talking shop. Spock stayed behind, watching Tria talk to the Starfleet scientists. She smiled and laughed as their questions turned into storytelling. When she caught sight of him still standing in the lab, she excused herself, and crossed to him. She looked at him and easily read his face, though to anyone else it was just as devoid of emotion as ever. "Kirk talked to you," she said. It was not a question.

His eyes flickered to the science staff. "He did. Come," he moved toward the door and she followed, matching his stride. Outside, staff were still gathered, talking. Having studied the station's blueprints before their arrival, he knew of a rec room not for from their location. He led them in that direction, silent.

When they entered the room, he was relieved to see it was empty. As the door shut behind them he turned, ready to speak. She beat him to the punch; "You didn't honestly expect me to go back to Brondus and let you leave me there."

"I assumed you knew there were other options. I have a great deal of accumulated leave time. I would be able to use that to see you when possible."

"How often," she demanded. "Every few months? Quarterly? No, I couldn't stand that."

"There are only 209 days left in the Enterprise's five-year mission," he reasoned. "Granted it is not extended, significant leave time is granted before the next assignment."

"Why are you even telling me this," she asked. He could tell she was starting to get irritated.

"I am merely pointing out the other logical options for maintaining our involvement."

"Spock," she complained.

"Tria, life on a starship is hard; and dangerous. I did not consider this an option because I did not think that it was something you would want. You have a tendency toward the academic, not adventure."

She stepped close to him, cautiously taking his hand. "I have a tendency toward embracing the things that make me happy." She sighed. "Whatever might be hard about it, I would do it to stay with you, even if it was just for a little while longer. A few days just wasn't enough."

He pursed his lips. "Permission has been granted, but only for six weeks."

"It's a start." She squeezed his hand. "I'll only stay if you want me to."

His face softened. "I do want you to stay. I am only concerned about your motives. You should not do this only on my account."

She smiled. "Don't worry about me. I'll find plenty to do, trust me. For each civilization you've discovered, there is a study to be done; even if it's just from reports and records. I might even ask Uhura if she wants to tinker with the universal translator with me."

His eyes smiled, but his face remained stoic. He touched her cheek lightly, dropping his hand quickly as the door opened. Tria let go of his hand casually and said, "How about a game of chess tonight?" The staffers that walked in looked confused as they passed them, but continued on with their conversations. Spock watched them carefully, but Tria was already on her way out the door. "Spock?"

He pivoted to face her, following. "I thought you didn't know how to play."

She grinned. "You can teach me. Then, I can baffle you with my lack of skill and logic."

"I remind you, Tria, I play with humans quite often. Illogical strategies are not foreign to me."

"Well, if that's true, then I might have to find some other way to break your concentration." She shot him a sensual look, lasting just long enough for him to catch her meaning before dropping it entirely. Spock trailed behind, trying not to let the images it called up to him distract him until they were back on the Enterprise, alone.

-----------------------------

~fin~

Thanks for reading! I plan to continue, but this is where I wanted to end this story arc. I'm hoping to do these in episodic stories, like the series. The next story will be called The Sirens of Thayra ... I hope you all enjoyed this so far and **thanks** for reading! ~ramfish


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